Apartment
by luvsbitca
Summary: Derek and Stiles are living together now but still not together, a short ficlet from their time as roommates. Part of Five Times Derek Growled At Stiles
1. Chapter 1

**Title -** Five Times Derek Growled At Stiles And One Time He Explained  
><strong>Chapter –<strong>05 – Apartment  
><strong>Author -<strong> Moonbeam  
><strong>Rating –<strong> R  
><strong>Summary –<strong> Derek and Stiles are living together now, a series of small events in their domestic life.  
><strong>Disclaimer –<strong> If I owned this show there would be more of it, lots lots more of it.

**Author's Notes –** **Okay, so I have promised any number of people this would have been finished well before now, unfortunately I have stalled on a couple of the little ficlets that make up this chapter of Five Times SO I thought since I am not posting anything for Valentine's Day - I had a short little fluffy hurt/comfort thing in mind but alas, I thought I would give this to the amazingly patient people who have been so encouraging with their reviews. This is the first ficlet in the chapter, I hope you enjoy.  
><strong>

**Five Times Derek Growled At Stiles And One Time He Explained**  
>by Moonbeam<p>

**06 – Apartment**

The morning after Stiles finally agreed to move into Derek's apartment Derek broke into Stiles' dorm room and woke him up from the small ball he made on his bed to pack his belongings. Between the two of them they had everything packed and in the van Derek had rented by mid-morning. But lunchtime everything was in Derek's apartment. All of Stiles' things spread throughout Derek's - no their - living room. When the last box had been carried up Stiles handed Derek a sandwich and shoved him out the door so that he wouldn't be late for class.

Three hours later Derek came into his apartment, the entire smell of the place subtly changed. The scent of Stiles had always been strong, he spent most of his free time there but the scent now was different, as though in three hours Stiles had been able to claim the whole place. The subtle change made Derek grin as the scent wafted through the open door. He walked into the apartment and found his living room immaculate. Cleaner than it had been when he woke up. None of Stiles' things were still in the room but his scent was everywhere. Derek walked through the apartment the kitchen was spotless, the bathroom smelt clean and the stack of washing that had been there this morning no longer was, the lingering hint of washing powder hanging in the air, he ducked his head into his room but nothing was changed. He finally made it to Stiles' room to find the entire room had been taken over, Stiles' belongings were everywhere and the younger man was lying on his bed, eyes closed the faint sound of Dave Grohl's singing reaching Derek's ears. Stiles was snoring quietly sprawled out on the bed, arms and legs thrown wide enjoying having something more than a single bed again. Derek smiled he did not know how the man had...the adderall? Derek walked into the room, leaned over the bed and sniffed at Stiles' neck. Derek breathed deep, pulling the scent down to the very bottom of his lungs and holding it in, imagining for one fanciful second that the scent might travel through his body in the oxygen he breathed in. Derek scented from the juncture of his neck and shoulder up to just behind his ear. He loved the smell of Stiles, below the soap that always clung to the boy was a sweet scent like ripe fruit and something that always made Derek think of the ocean. Stiles mumbled in his sleep and Derek pulled away swiftly not wanting to wake the other man now that he was sure he had not been overdoing his medication again. The scent was always there but never like it had been the night Derek had found him basically comatose and he had threatened him about overdosing again. Even thinking about how Stiles had smelt that night made Derek want to change and eviscerate something.

Derek shook himself and moved away from the bed and out into the lounge room. He turned on his laptop and started on the assignment he had been given less than an hour ago, anything to get his mind off thoughts of Stiles slowly destroying himself with medication. After a half hour when his heartbeat had completely returned to normal and the sick feeling he got whenever he thought about that night had left he realised he was starving, he hadn't had anything to eat since the sandwich Stiles had made for him at lunchtime. How on earth did the guy get so much done? Derek didn't understand Stiles sometimes - most of the time. The younger man was a mystery Derek wanted to solve, maybe then he could actually step back and let Stiles go; he knew he had to let Stiles go. After the debacle the previous year with Mary he knew that Stiles would eventually find someone to love.

Derek moved into the kitchen when he opened the fridge he found a big dish he did not recognise full of pasta and sauce with a note on it telling him to put it in the oven when he found it and to wake Stiles up when it was ready if he was still asleep. There was definitely something wrong with Stiles but Derek turned the oven on anyway. Even though Stiles often cooked when he came over and they had dinner Derek had not expected this when he had left for class.

Minutes later Stiles strolled out of his room stretching. "Hey Derek."

"Stiles." Derek closed his laptop and turned to face Stiles.

"Good class?"

"Yeah. How did you get all that done while I was out?" Derek asked watching Stiles walk into the kitchen, check the pasta bake before he came back out and sat facing Derek with a sleepy smile that made Derek's heart clench.

"Easy, I really didn't have that much and I just cleaned as I was putting stuff away and then I made dinner and had a nap. Nothing much."

"You don't need to do that."

"Well we never discussed rent and chores and stuff."

"You will not pay rent; you can chip in for food and everything else. Clean up after yourself and we can work out something for the proper cleaning later."

"I want to pay to live here." Stiles said the sleepy look being replaced by his determined and annoyed face which Derek remembered well from the terrible argument about who was paying for university. But this part of their first day together Derek was prepared for.

"And I don't pay rent, or for that matter the mortgage. I own the place so I don't pay anything to live here either. We can split the actual bills we get so that is fair. I don't want you to work anymore than you already are. The library is a great job for you and if you need to pay rent you would need something more and I want you to do the best you can in your classes so I am putting my foot down about rent." Derek let his eyes flash knowing it would do nothing.

Stiles laughed at Derek and his electric blue eyes. "You had me right up to the foot stomping like a two year old throwing a tantrum."

Derek grinned which looked both sexy and sinister when coupled with the electric blue wolf eyes.

"So deal?" Derek asked.

"Deal. I don't really like it but I also don't want to fight about it and I know you are not doing it with nefarious purposes." Stiles grinned easily before reaching for the remote and pausing. "Are you studying?"

"No. I was doing some research but I am bored and if I want I can do it with the TV on. What are we watching?"

"Well we still have a few episodes of Grey's Anatomy on the hard drive." Stiles grinned.

Derek sighed but nodded. Stiles grinned knowing the alpha liked the show even if he pretended to watch it under duress.

"Okay." Derek said putting his laptop down.

"Do you want a drink before we start it will be about half an hour before the dinner is ready."

"I'll get it." Derek said before bouncing up and coming back with two glasses of water knowing Stiles would want it about ten minutes into the show, he always did.

/ * / * /

Living with Stiles was a different experience to what Derek expected.


	2. Chapter 2

It's Valentine's Day, I'm sitting on my couch eating really good ice cream and watching TV. It's a good night so I figured I would cave and give you another ficlet from this. I am such a pushover.

This one has a similar theme to the last. I kinda explain Stiles' cleaning thing later but for now enjoy...

**Part 2**

Six weeks into the arrangement Derek had to sit Stiles down to have a talk.

"You have to stop this."

"Stop what?" Stiles asked perplexed.

"Cleaning and cooking and just generally doing everything around here."

Stiles shrugged, something Derek found himself hating at times like this when Stiles was being deliberately obtuse. "I don't mind. I like cooking, I find it relaxing and I am used to cleaning, and just generally being helpful is good, right?"

"I don't like that you are doing everything, I come home from class and the place is spotless. Why?"

"I clean up early and then go to class; most of them are in the afternoon. I'm not much for sleeping in; I always found it hard to sleep."

"Stop it. Before I have to make a fucking schedule to divide up the workload." Derek said annoyed.

"Fine." Stiles said.

He didn't stop and finally Derek set his alarm for too early and cleaned before the other boy got up every day for a week. They finally sat down and discussed how they were actually going to do this.

"I'm doing the cooking." Stiles said.

"Deal." Derek wasn't that fond of his own cooking, hell he didn't think he could ever go back to actually having to eat his own cooking. There were only so many times you can eat nothing but toast.

"Dishes."

"Together."

"Deal, I wash." Stiles claimed.

"Fine." Derek was happy with that arrangement, he preferred wiping.

The cleaning discussion ended with Derek throwing things at Stiles' head and telling him he was a stubborn arse just before Stiles kicked Derek off his chair and declared himself the winner before stomping into the kitchen to make dinner.

They never resolved the issue, instead spending their time trying to one up the other until Derek woke up to find Stiles cleaning the oven at 3am with a shrug and the defence of not being able to sleep.

Allison suggested they clean together, Lydia suggested they get someone in, Jackson asked why they were so worried about cleaning and Danny hit Jackson upside the head. Derek told them all to mind their own business. Stiles thought about what Allison said with a chuckle; that really was no fun - seeing Derek growl through the crack in the door when he woke up and realised Stiles had cleaned something was fun.

**If you convince me to put the next one up it is a little dirtier :p**


	3. Chapter 3

**I'm easy...**

**But, if I keep doing this then when I put add this chapter onto Five Times you are all going to be annoyed at me because there will be nothing new. **

Derek came home from a long day and called out to Stiles who appeared to be out. He walked into the laundry stripped off all his clothes and walked into the bathroom. He paused just over the threshold. The door had been closed, holding the smell in, it was an old smell though, as faded as the scent of soap and toothpaste but it was far stronger than either. Derek's cock twitched and he debated stepping out of the room but his legs were carrying him further in and the door was closed behind him locking the scent in with him. He knew Stiles did it, of course he did. Derek did too but he had the protection of a human roommate who would not be able to smell it hours after it happened. Normally it was just a passing scent, Derek barely caught it and it was gone. But Stiles had closed the door and the bathroom window was closed and the smell clung in the air to taunt Derek when he got home. He turned the shower on not even bothering with cold water. He'd had a crappy day and Derek had never claimed to be a strong man.

Derek stepped into the shower breathing in the scent of Stiles' shower and the smell of his come that hung in the air. He wrapped his hand around his cock and felt guilty as his hand started moving along the hard, sensitive flesh.

Derek pictured it in his head, remembering the different times he'd seen Stiles shirtless, the image of Stiles naked immediately popped into his head. Stiles standing bent forward a little; his head pressed into the shower wall the water pouring down his back, in and out of the long lines of muscles, over his firm backside, and the long length of his legs. Stiles with his hand wrapped around his cock. Touching himself slowly, working himself up until finally he's come, his face changed showing his joy and his body tensed as his fist continued working. Derek's head thumped against the tile in front of him and he came painting the wall mixing the new scent of himself in with the old scent of Stiles' come.

Derek thumped his head against the wall a couple of times. Bad idea, very bad idea. It was not a good idea for Derek to allow himself these little weaknesses - it was dangerous he already wanted Stiles too much. He wanted to be the only person Stiles would ever allow to touch him like that and it was a bad idea, a terribly bad idea. Derek thumped his head against the wall one more time and then washed himself and went into his room to get dressed and find something to eat. When he made it back into the kitchen he heard Stiles' key in the lock and he could feel his face heat.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?"

"I went and got kebabs, I am late, Samuel was there and complaining about his girlfriend, she's nuts."

"Thanks, new one?"

"Yeah. I knew you had that oral presentation today and that you had a long crappy day beforehand so I thought I'd get you something nice, something of a reward for doing so well."

"How do you know I did well?" Derek sat next to Stiles on the couch putting the plates and glasses on the table in front of them.

"You practiced on me yesterday, it was great."

Derek and Stiles spent the night together and Derek promised himself not to be weak like that again…he lied to himself - it was a promise he would never be able to keep.

**Hehe**


	4. Chapter 4

**I have decided to put up the ones that occur before Possessiveness, Miscommunication and Jealousy. Or maybe I should just stop. Let me know. **

Derek opened his door; Lydia was standing on the door step an overnight bag over her shoulder and tears in her eyes. "What's wrong?" Derek growled pulling her inside.

Stiles popped out of the kitchen when he heard the words. "With who…Lydia. What's wrong?" Stiles walked over and wrapped Lydia up in a hug. She dropped the bag and fell into the hug.

"Oh Stiles, it's terrible."

"What's terrible?" Derek asked not sure what to do with himself, he knew it was true but he wanted to know why the female beta was more comfortable seeking comfort from Stiles than from him.

"Is it Anthony?" Stiles asked.

"No!" Lydia said pulling away.

"Is it something Anthony shaped?"

Lydia grinned weakly and nodded. "No, I don't cry over boys."

"Course not, come in and tell me all about it."

"Can I help?" Derek asked.

"It's a Stiles problem," Lydia said moving over to the couch and sitting down.

"A Stiles problem?" Derek turned his eyes to Stiles and silently asked the question.

"It's a thing apparently some problems are Derek problems and some problems are Stiles problems. I'm not sure if there are criteria but that's just how it works apparently." Stiles shrugged and went into the kitchen. Derek followed him.

"I'm their alpha," Derek growled dejectedly. "All their problems should be Derek problems."

"Derek, do you want to go in there, eat ice cream and hear about what the 'bastard', 'arsehole', 'bum head', 'fucking cocksucker' etcetera has done? Really?"

"No, but…"

"But you are the alpha and you should be who they come to with their problems. They do, but this is just…different."

"Stiles problems huh?"

"And Derek problems. They are the stuff they don't talk to me about." Derek doubted there was anything his pack didn't tell Stiles, or talk to him about. Sometimes he wondered who was really in charge and he was fairly certain it was not him.

Stiles grinned at Derek grabbed the chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream kept here just for Lydia and walked into the lounge room. He sat on the couch where Lydia curled into him and opened the ice cream for her. She just sat there for a while sniffing before she started talking. Derek sat at the kitchen table and started doing some research for his next paper while Stiles dealt with his female beta.

Later when Lydia was curled up in Stiles' bed Stiles settled next to Derek on the couch and used his elbow to bump him. Derek turned and smiled at him.

"So, everything better?" Derek asked.

"She'll be fine, she just needed someone to give her a hug and listen to her."

"Stiles. Thank you."

"For what?"

"For everything you do for the people in our pack."

"I don't do that much," Stiles said looking down at his hands in his lap.

"You really do," Derek watched Stiles for a moment and saw how uncomfortable he was. "Want to watch something or are you ready to go to bed?"

"Watch something, anything…something pointless and funny." Stiles said smiling at Derek and letting him pick.


	5. Chapter 5

**This is the second last ficlet that happens before Possessiveness, Miscommunication and Jealousy. This is in a slightly different vein from the others but all will become clear eventually. I am having a bit more luck with the two of these towards the end of the chapter that were making me want to hit my head agaisnt the wall. **

Stiles opened the door to find a stranger standing on the mat looking at him with very angry eyes.

"Hello?" Stiles asked assuming the man was simply at the wrong apartment.

"Are you Stiles Stilinski?" The man asked his eyes attempting to bore holes into Stiles.

"Yes. Who-" The man shot Stiles in the face with water from a little water gun he had pulled from his pocket.

"What the hell?" Stiles asked spitting out the water onto his hand and glaring at the man in front of him who looked confused.

"What's wrong?" Derek asked moments later when he stepped next to Stiles at the door.

"Derek Hale?" The man asked. Stiles reached a hand out to the man but Derek spoke before he managed to do anything.

"Yes, who are-"

The man shot Derek this time and he dropped to the floor with a grunt as he started hissing in pain. Stiles looked down at Derek before using his foot to push Derek's legs out of the way and slamming the door in the strange man's face.

"Derek?" Stiles said dropping down onto the ground next to him.

"Water."

"Okay." Stiles said grabbing Derek's hands and pulling him though the apartment and into the bathroom. Stiles managed to heft Derek up so he could stumble under the shower and Stiles turned it on letting the water beat down on Derek's face.

"Aconite." Derek gasped out.

"Shit." Stiles said. "Close your eyes and I'll wash it off."

Derek did as he was told and Stiles soaped his face up before washing it off. His skin was bright red and a couple of the spots around his eyes were definitely going to blister.

"Lemon juice." Derek said after Stiles had washed the aconite from his face for the second time.

Stiles stood and turned the water off pulling Derek up and bracing himself under the werewolves elbow so they could hobble to the kitchen. Stiles pushed him into a chair. Stiles found a pathetic lemon in the back of the fridge and swiped the juice over the red inflamed skin making Derek's fangs drop and his claws dig into the kitchen table.

"Done." Stiles said. "What can I do about your eyes?"

"Nothing." Derek said. "They will heal but I'm going to be sick for a few days."

"I'll get some salt water." Stiles said moving over and mixing it before coming back to tip Derek's head back and wash his eyes out with the salty water.

"Thank you." Derek said when he opened his eyes. The entire white section was blood shot and red and Stiles could tell he was having trouble seeing out of his left eye which was much worse than the right.

"Are you going to be okay? Can you see?"

"It will heal, it was very diluted luckily. Obviously he didn't want to blind me. Probably just seeing if I actually am a werewolf. You better wash your face; even humans can be poisoned by aconite."

"Of course," Stiles went and washed his face with the extra salt water, washing his eyes out as well before splashing his face with cold water. When he looked up Derek was watching him. "I am going to go and change. Do you want a hand getting to your room?"

"No." Derek said. "I'll be fine…I need a minute anyway."

"Okay." Stiles left the room and peeled the wet top off throwing it straight in the washing machine, best not to run the chance of more aconite getting on anything. Stiles didn't see Derek's damaged eyes trailing his back as he walked away.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi, I'm sorry I thought this was funny when I wrote it...I'll be honest it still makes me giggle even if it is silly.**

Sheriff Stilinski came for a visit a few months after they moved in together and Derek demanded he stay with them and not at a hotel. Stiles agreed and stayed on the couch for a week.

The day after he left Stiles called him annoyed from the kitchen while Derek eavesdropped.

"Hello?" Derek could hear the sheriff's voice from the lounge room.

"Dad."

"Stiles, what's up?"

"Why was there a plate, steak knife and wine glass in my bed when you left?"

"Just checking." The sheriff responded.

"Checking what Dad?"

"If anything was happening between you and Derek."

"What!" Stiles shouted into the phone.

"I didn't want you to think you had the hide the truth if you were not just roommates."

"Dad!"

"Yes Stiles?"

"Why on earth did you hide stuff in my bed?"

"I got the idea from that old joke."

"What joke?" Derek could hear Stiles' exasperation. The sheriff was just watching out for his son though. He was not the first person to have wondered if there was something more between Derek and Stiles but even though all of them managed to sense something about the two of them the fact was there was no possibility of anything more being between them. Derek could not risk Stiles getting hurt like that.

"You know... a woman goes to visit her son and is given his bed to sleep in while he sleeps on the couch and she asks if there is anything going on between him and his incredibly gorgeous roommate and the son says no. She asks him a few times and he always denies it, finally she leaves and a few days later the roommate goes to the son and says she thinks his mother stole her really expensive spoon, or something, the son thinks it must be a mistake and they search and search but cannot find it. Finally the son calls his mum and asks if she knows anything about the spoon and she tells him he would have found it already if he wasn't lying to her about sleeping with the roommate because she had hidden it in his bed."

"Seriously dad?"

"Just checking."

"We are just roommates."

"Okay son, I get that but I just want to keep an eye on you. Make sure everything is okay."

"Everything is good. If anything were to change I would tell you but nothing is going to." Stiles said his heartbeat not stuttering. Derek dropped his head back against the couch and ignored the rest of the conversation. Stiles was telling the truth and Derek's grin dropped off his face.

/ * / * / * / * /

**Possessiveness Miscommunication And Jealousy (This is where that story happens)  
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/ * / * / * / * /

**Okay, so now you have a decision to make. **

**Some people seemed to have been confused but this story IS chapter six of Five Times Derek Growled At Stiles****, I posted this because I felt bad I hadn't finished it and was making you all wait so long. **

I am still working on two of the ficlets for this chapter of Five Times so you can either have me still doing what I am doing putting the ficlets up by themselves as I work on the last two and then throwing it up into the story when it's all done.

OR

I can stop posting the ficlets and when I am finished you can read the whole thing as the next chapter of Five Times without it having been here before.

**Completely up to you all, let me know. **


	7. Chapter 7

/ * / * / * / * /

Derek drove them back to Beacon Hills and Stiles lasted three hours when they were home before he kicked Derek from where he was sitting on the couch and glared at him.

"What?" Derek asked massaging his thigh and glaring at Stiles.

"Stop being a prat."

"What?"

"You have been painfully nice since you kicked Jasmine out of the house. Let it go, it's over."

Derek stood up and went into the kitchen. "What do you want for dinner, I'm cooking tonight."

"Stupid prat." Stiles called out. "But if you are going to be like this I want Chinese, with extra wontons."

"Okay." Derek said grabbing his phone.

"How long are you going to do this for?" Stiles asked poking Derek in the arm.

"I'm not doing anything." Derek defended.

"It's not your fault." Stiles said standing up to grab them both a drink.

"But I didn't help either." Derek said quietly.

"Sure you did. You kicked her out on her arse."

"Not enough." Derek muttered staring fixedly at the menu in front of him.

"I can take care of myself Derek. I am big and strong and know for a fact that I am hideously important to the pack."

Stiles sat back down, grabbed a pen and circled two dishes on the menu; Derek nodded and called in their order.

"You are important to me Stiles." Derek said looking at him finally.

"Tell me about Laura."

"She was funny, she was so strong, when the fire happened she came back and just handled everything. I don't know how she did it. I couldn't cope."

"I wish I had known her."

"She would have taken one look at you and dragged you and Scott into our pack and hit me every time I was mean to you."

Stiles laughed.

"What was your mum like?" Derek asked quietly.

"She loved to sing, and she was not great but she sang all the time, she'd sing about what she was doing or the song on the radio or the one in the shopping centre. She'd dance too; I remember her picking me up and spinning me around the living room to a song. She was happy a lot, she would smile at me when she tucked me into bed after a nightmare and I knew things would be okay. She always told me not to worry about the ADHD that I was special. She gave the best hugs."

Stiles and Derek sat quietly waiting for their food.

Over the two following weeks that it took them to settle back into their normal rhythm they shared little parts about the families they'd lost. Sharing things they had never talked about with anyone in years. Becoming the very thing they both needed even though Stiles still wished he could talk to his dad and Derek still wished someone in his life had known Laura. Both of them knowing this at least was better than almost anything that they had had for years and worth more than people like Jasmine in their lives.

/ * / * / * / * /


	8. Chapter 8

Never take my medical advice, for some reason I have head canon that lemon is a counteragent against aconite. Just go with it. I did the first aid based on the story not on reality. :)

/ * / * / * / * /

Derek was waiting outside of Stiles' class when he came out rubbing his hand and stretching it out. Stiles saw Derek and grinned. Derek waited while Stiles said goodbye to MJ who smiled over at him before she and a couple of other guys from the class walked off. Stiles walked over to him, excitement putting a slight bounce in his step even though exhaustion was keeping him from moving very quickly.

"What are you doing here?" Stiles asked when he was standing before Derek.

"You had a test," Derek said taking in the tired lines around Stiles' eyes and stamping down on the desire to take him home and tuck them both into bed.

"I know." Stiles turned and began walking towards their apartment.

"Did you want to go out with your friends? I thought I might take you to that kebab place in celebration of the fact you have the test out of the way and can now sleep."

"They are all going home to sleep. Kebabs sound amazing, can we take them home though?" Stiles asked turning in the direction of the kebab place instead.

"Course. I would have grabbed them and met you at home but my lecture went late today and it seemed easier to wait for you." Derek said watching Stiles from the corner of his eye.

"No this is good. I would have passed out on the couch before you got there." Stiles said with a grin.

They walked for a while in silence. Derek watched Stiles who was walking slowly and tiredly blinking too often, Derek wondered if he should send Stiles home and walk to the shop by himself. He was about to suggest it when he felt it; the unmistakable prickle of someone following him.

Derek stepped closer to Stiles so he could talk into his ear. Stiles stumbled at the sudden contact and Derek closed his hand around Stiles' elbow to help him stay upright.

"Someone is following us." Derek mumbled in Stiles' ear.

"Who?" Stiles asked managing to stop himself from turning around to look.

"I'm not sure, when we get to that building turn and walk behind it, keep going and I will find out who it is."

They reached the building and Stiles turned walking on a small way and then ducking behind a column so he could see who it was too. Moments later the man who had squirted Derek with aconite rounded the corner, his eyes darting around looking for them. Suddenly a hand covered Stiles' mouth and he gasped before ramming an elbow back into the warm body behind him. He realised it was Derek as his weight fell forward and bent Stiles over tucking him up into Derek's body. Derek shoved him forward and dropped his hands to his knees breathing deliberately slowly.

"Sorry." Stiles whispered.

Derek nodded accepting the apology for the surprising elbow and not correcting Stiles that his biggest problem right now was the instant erection he'd gotten when he was bent over with Stiles curled in front of him.

"Come on." Derek said moments later grabbing Stiles' elbow and leading him from the hidden alcove. They walked quickly but without rushing. "We'll go through that patch of woods to get home so I can confront him and find out who he is. When I do you need to run, as fast as you can and go home."

"Yeah right." Stiles said. "I am not going anywhere. The last time we saw him he made you half blind for a week. This time we are going to confront him together just in case."

"It is going to be dangerous. You need to go home." Derek said stepping from the paved path and into the trees that barely could be called a wood but which everyone avoided because there were no lights or proper paths. Derek heard the snap of a twig behind them that told him that the man was still following them. Derek and Stiles kept walking until they were far enough in that someone passing would not be able to see Derek if he needed to transform. Derek stopped and turned keeping Stiles, who refused to go on without him, behind him.

The man kept walking not bothered by the fact Derek and Stiles were now waiting for him. He stopped a few steps from Derek but he spoke to Stiles.

"I know you are human, you can leave." The man said looking at Stiles.

"Who are you?" Stiles asked.

"Joshua."

"Why are you following us?" Derek growled stepping just a little more directly in front of Stiles.

"Because you are a werewolf and I hunt you filthy mutts. I am here to make sure you don't hurt anyone else at this school." Joshua said with a sneer.

"Anyone else?" Stiles asked popping his head up above Derek's shoulder, Derek growled at him so Stiles dropped back down.

"I read about the last person here. I don't know if it was you or your pack and I don't care. I will kill you if I need to and anyone else you have damned with your curse."

Stiles didn't see the quick move, didn't see the flash of light on the silver blade as it flicked out swiftly and slashed over Derek's chest. He did see the shock in Derek's shoulders and the way he stumbled just a little. Stiles reached out for Derek as Joshua turned and paused turning back to Stiles.

"I'd leave him human before you get dragged down to hell with him." Joshua said before turning and running away from Derek and Stiles who was desperately trying to keep Derek from falling over.

Stiles lowered Derek to the floor and knelled next to him so he could see what had been done. Derek's shirt gaped open where there was a long red stained cut in the fabric. Stiles spread it and looked at the wound below. It was deep and bleeding and Derek was breathing quickly.

"Aconite again?" Stiles asked trying to work out where to put his hands.

"No, something else. It stings but it is not poison." Derek said his eyes electric blue and his hand reaching out to grasp Stiles'. "I need to get back to the apartment."

"Right, okay." Stiles stood and lifted Derek's shoulders until he was sitting. "The next bit is going to hurt."

Derek held out his arm and between the two of them they got Derek upright, the blood now coming out fast, Derek's face ash white in a mimic of that terrible night when Stiles thought he was going to have to cut off Derek's arm. He couldn't cut off Derek's torso. Stiles pushed Derek until he was leaning against a tree and then pulled the two sides of his coat together and zipped him into it. Stiles lifted Derek's arm and pushed himself into the space created pulling Derek away from the tree and starting towards the apartment. On a good night when he was walking normally it would take him ten minutes to get there from here.

Stiles looked down at his feet and started counting steps, anything to keep him from thinking about the blood darkening Derek's jeans (40 steps and push Derek's shoulder a little higher) or the pained moans the werewolf was trying to keep in (56) or the fact that without knowing what was in the wound he had no idea how to treat it (110 tighten his hold around Derek's waist slipping his fingers under the leather of his belt). In all of his readings he had never looked at random symptoms from different substances with enough care to know what had been done to Derek (200). He needed to get Derek home so he could do something, anything (350).

Finally Stiles pressed Derek into the wall next to their door (18 897), he fumbled the key into the lock and threw the door open sliding his shoulder under Derek's to get him to the arm of the couch. Stiles unzipped the jacket and threw it on the floor, ripped the rest of the front of Derek's shirt and pushing it off his shoulders to join the jacket. Stiles looked at the damage, the cut looked worse than it had before but the blood was trickling out more slowly now.

"Stay there." Stiles said rushing away to find something to put beneath Derek before grabbing a bowl of water and antiseptic. He came back into the living room just as Derek was starting to sway. He rushed over and laid the towel out below him before leaning him back slowly.

"I'm go-ing to pass…out. I don know wh-at he ussss-ed." Derek mumbled brokenly just before he turned to dead weight in Stiles' arms.

"Shit, shit, shit." Stiles chanted fumbling his mobile out as he started swiping at the blood all over Derek's chest and abdomen staying away from the actual wound until someone picked up.

"Stiles?" Scott said when he answered the phone.

"Scott, is the vet there? I need his help."

"What's wrong?"

"It's Derek get me the vet now!" Stiles barked into the phone.

"Mr Stilinski." The vet said into the phone.

"Someone stabbed Derek and it's not aconite, at least that's what he said but he passed out and it's not even that deep and you need to help me."

"Okay Mr Stilinski, is the wound bleeding?"

"Yes."

"Red blood?"

"Yes."

"Is it secreting anything?"

"No, it's just bleeding. I didn't even see the knife."

"Okay, what are you washing the wound with."

"Nothing, I didn't want to start until I knew what to do."

"Smell the wound."

Stiles leaned forward and sniffed the wound as he pulled away Derek started to convulse. "Shit, shit he's having a fit."

"Okay wash the wound with water and disinfectant. When it is washed go and get some gauze, lemons and rice."

Stiles washed the wound quickly and thoroughly before scurrying into the kitchen for rice and one of the lemons he kept buying since the last incident with Joshua.

"Okay, what do I do?"

"Lay down some gauze down over the wound and pack it with rice."

"What?" Stiles did as the vet said with hands much steadier than he thought possible.

"The rice will suck the liquid from the wound. The gauze is to protect the wound from the chance of rice getting stuck when Derek begins to heal. The lemon is for later. Change the rice every half hour. When you get to the first batch that doesn't soak in any blood drown the wound in lemon juice and wrap it. If he isn't awake by the morning call me and I will come up there."

"Do you know what it is?" Stiles asked as he looked at Derek's sickly pale face.

"I have an idea, don't throw any of the bloody things away pack it all up in a sealed container or ziplock back and store it in your fridge. Scott was coming to see you this weekend he'll collect it for me and I will look into it."

"Thank you."

"Anytime Mr Stilinski, I believe Scott would like to speak to you." The vet handed the phone over to Scott who was pacing next to him and eavesdropping.

"Stiles? I'll be there tonight. Do I need to call everyone?"

"No, no stay. You're supposed to have dinner with your mum tonight. Call everyone and tell them Derek's been hurt but not to come. If he isn't awake in the morning I will call everyone and then you can come."

"Stiles." Scott turned his back to the vet. "Are you okay, I can come for you."

"I'll be fine. I am fine. I wasn't stabbed so I'll be fine." Stiles said into the phone wanting to collapse suddenly.

"Stiles."

"No Scott. I will be fine, Derek will be fine. Go to dinner with your mum and call me tomorrow…please." Stiles dropped his chin onto his chest and let out a long sigh.

"Okay, I'll call you in the morning. If anything changes call me." Scott ordered down the phone.

"Okay, I need to go. Bye." Stiles hung up the phone half way through Scott's goodbye and then busied himself tucking all the bloody cloths into a bag, emptying and washing the disinfectant bowl, tucking everything but the rice and the lemon away where it was supposed to be. He set an alarm on his clock for every half hour until morning and then started cleaning. The fridge and freezer, the cupboard under the sink, the bathroom, the laundry hunting out all the washing he could find and soaking Derek's jacket, coming back to change the rice, vacuuming with one eye on Derek in case the noise annoyed him, going around with a broom to find cobwebs, redoing the cupboard under the sink, when there was nothing left to clean Stiles crawled into the clean shower and washed the blood and sweat and fear from him body as quickly as he could before coming back into the lounge room in nothing but a towel to check on Derek, no change. He got dressed and lifted Derek's head to rest on his thigh after changing the blood red rice again and sunk down into the cushions so tired and terrified he couldn't close his eyes and he couldn't keep them open. Before he even thought about what he was doing he'd leaned down and pressed his lips to Derek's pulling away quickly when he realised what he had done.

Stiles pressed himself back against the couch his face flushed and worried but Derek's didn't stir or move or react simply laid there still as death and twice as pale. Stiles laid his hand over Derek's heart to make sure it was still beating biting his lip because it was slow and choppy. Stiles didn't mean to close his eyes or fall asleep but the next thing he knew he was jerking awake to the sound of his alarm.

Ten changes later the rice he pulled from Derek's wound was just barely pink. Stiles opened the lemon and pulled the gauze away squeezing the juice straight onto the wound but even then Derek didn't move or flinch. To be sure Stiles went and got another lemon and repeated the process before balancing Derek's heavy torso on his arm and wrapping the wound tightly and generously. When that was done Stiles changed his alarms to every hour and settled himself back under Derek's head. His hand on Derek's chest was met with a slightly faster and steadier beat lulling Stiles back to sleep.

The next time Stiles woke up his hand was pressed down into Derek's chest by Derek's hand but the werewolf's head was tucked into Stiles' side his breath warming Stiles' hipbone. Stiles wanted to pull the bandage back and check the wound but he didn't want to disturb Derek's sleep. Stiles looked down at Derek for a while until his eyelids got heavy again and he fell asleep. When he woke up again Derek was staring at the ceiling his fingers running back and forth along Stiles' forearm.

"Derek?" Stiles asked.

"Morning Stiles." Derek said his eyes flicking up to meet Stiles'.

"How are you feeling?"

"Weak and tired." Derek admitted.

"I called the vet."

"What did he say?"

"He told me to send the bloody cloths to him so he can work out what was used."

Derek knew Stiles would need to check the wound, change the bandage but he didn't want him to move just yet.

The sound of Stiles' mobile was loud enough to make Derek flinch and then grunt at the pain radiating from the wound in the middle of his chest. "Derek?" Stiles said while he reached for the mobile and answered the call from Scott.

"I'm fine." Derek said letting his head rest on Stiles' thigh just a little more heavily.

"Scott." Stiles' fingers without any input from his brain carded through Derek's hair soothing him and letting sleep overtake the werewolf again.

"How's Derek?"

"Awake." Stiles looked down and realised that Derek was asleep at the same time that he realised it was Derek's soft black hair that was sliding over the skin of his fingers.

"Stiles!"

"What?"

"I asked how the wound is."

"Oh, I'm not sure. He fell back to sleep before I had a chance to check it but he was awake earlier." Stiles said letting his head drop back against the back of the couch unable to convince his fingers to stop moving.

"Should I come today?" Scott asked.

"If you want, but I don't think you need to rush. You were coming tomorrow anyway. Plus Derek is still weak and I'm not sure if any more activity would be good, he'd probably get growly."

Scott's laughter was loud in Stiles' ear and he felt himself smile knowing that Derek was going to be okay.

"How would that be any different to how he is normally?" Scott asked.

"Not a huge deal but when he's in pain he is more likely to shove people into things."

"Try your hardest then." Scott said barely hiding the laugh in his voice.

"Smart arse. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sure, I'll call everyone and let them know Derek's okay."

"Thanks Scott. Bye."

"Bye."

Stiles hung up the phone and snagged the remote with his foot so he didn't have to move and disturb Derek before turning the TV on quietly and waiting for Derek to wake up again.

An hour later Stiles was engrossed completely in a rerun of Buffy trying to work out if Buffy would have any luck against his werewolf and perving on Willow so he didn't notice Derek open his eyes and look up at him. Derek let him continue to watch and just enjoyed the way Stiles' face displayed his every thought when he was watching something he enjoyed. Finally Stiles looked down at Derek and smiled when he realised Derek was awake.

"How do you feel?" Stiles asked.

"Better."

"Good, I need to check the wound."

"Yeah."

Stiles pulled out from under Derek's head and went into the bathroom to grab the things he needed. When he got back Derek had wedged himself up higher on the cushions. Stiles undid the bandage around Derek and pressed him back into the cushions. The wound didn't look like it was healing but it wasn't as horrid looking as it had been the day before.

"It was the strangest thing." Stiles started. He was about to continue when his mobile rang.

"Hello?" He said when he'd opened it and seen 'Beacon Hills Vet' on the screen.

"Mr Stilinski."

"Yes, hello Dr Deaton."

"Have you re-dressed Mr Hale's wound yet?"

"No. I was just about to."

"Excellent." The vet started. "Bath it in salt water please."

"Okay," Stiles stood and walked towards the kitchen to get a large bowl of salt water. "Dr Deaton, I have never heard of using rice in a wound before and honestly it's a bit weird."

"And you probably never will again Mr Stilinski, it is a practice that has not been used by anyone is a long, long time. There are much more well-known things that have been used over time to draw poisons out of wounds but they are not found in many homes. Rice however will work and is very common, the main issue with it being the starch luckily by changing the packing regularly you avoid most of the problem."

"It seemed to have worked though, Derek's awake." Stiles said as he put the bowl down on the coffee table and sat next to Derek again.

"Good. How is the wound?"

"Still very red, and it doesn't seem to be healing very well."

"Okay this time don't dress the wound, let it breathe and wash it every hour. Whatever was on the knife will be inhibiting the healing process. The rice should have helped with that somewhat but the salt will help more. If you are worried about anything give me a call."

"Thank you very much Dr Deaton."

"Not a problem Mr Stilinski. You may dress the wound tonight before Mr Hale goes to bed as moving will inevitably result in it bleeding more."

"Okay I will."

Stiles and the vet said their goodbyes and Stiles dropped the phone back onto the table.

"Did you hear all that?"

"Of course." Derek said. "Rice?"

"It's okay there is none in the wound."

"I didn't think there would be." Derek said.

"It seemed to have worked. I don't know what he used and you're awake so I don't care." Stiles said ringing out the cloth. "This is probably going to hurt."

"It is definitely going to hurt. Now hurry up."

Stiles grinned at Derek and washed the wound out keeping his eyes away from Derek's face where he knew his discomfort would be showing. When Stiles was finished he cleaned up trying not to look at the open wound, still angry and red a great slash across his torso.

"Stiles." Derek started before he was interrupted by Stiles' stomach rumbling.

"When was the last time you ate?" Derek asked.

"I don't know. Probably lunch yesterday." Stiles said trying to remember.

"You need to eat." Derek said poking Stiles in the arm to get him to move.

"You should eat too, what would you like?"

"Whatever you are making for yourself." Derek said letting his head fall back onto the back of the couch and listening to Stiles moving around in the kitchen obviously making them toasted sandwiches.

A while later Stiles came back into the room with a large plate of toasted cheese sandwiches and another with fruit and carrot on it. At Derek's raised eyebrow Stiles shrugged. "You are healing and that is all the fruit and veg we have."

"Okay," Derek said grabbing a sandwich and a carrot.

"Good. Do you want to go back to sleep?" Stiles asked.

"No, let's watch more Supernatural, after all Dean cannot actual stay in hell."

"Oh Derek, this is awesome. You haven't met Cas yet, he rocks." Stiles said bouncing up to put the DVD in and going to get some drinks, anything that Derek might enjoy.

They spent their day watching Supernatural with breaks for Stiles to bathe the wound and fuss around Derek which the alpha accepted with a sleepy grin feeling a lot more tired and weary than he was trying to let on seeing the worry around Stiles' eyes already.

The next day Scott visited and Derek had to have Scott forcibly remove Stiles from the apartment before he would go. Even then every hour like clockwork he received a call from Stiles to check on him. Finally Derek had ordered Scott to steal Stiles' phone and not let him have it again.

By that night his wound was beginning to heal, slowly at first but he could feel it reknitting as he tried to sleep. By Tuesday he was left with nothing but a scar that would fade over time, Stiles was still hovering a little in between classes and studying.

"Stiles! Sit down." Derek growled on Thursday.

"What?"

"You have to stop. I am completely healed."

"You still have a scar."

"Which is fading rapidly."

"I'm not sure that changes the fact that you have one."

"Stiles. I'm fine, stop worrying about me."

"You scared me." Stiles admitted quietly.

"I'm fine."

"We don't even know what was used, what if he comes back?" Stiles asked.

"Then we'll be ready." Derek said.

Stiles stood up and walked from the room Derek could hear him pulling things out of the fridge and cupboard and moving around the kitchen turning his iPod on and working on something. Derek thumped his head back into the back of the couch. This was one of Stiles' coping mechanisms he cooked or cleaned Derek had found it odd right up until Scott had explained in a way that said he had obviously thought Derek was smarter than that – Stiles' mum had died and his dad was devastated and he'd started cooking and cleaning because someone had to and his dad was working too much.

Derek knew Stiles had cleaned when he'd been passed out from the smell when he'd woken up so the only thing left was cooking. Derek left Stiles to it, he'd come back when he was ready and would be much more willing to talk since he would have thought his way through whatever was wrong. Derek opened his laptop and started catching up on some more of his readings and weekly tasks he should have been doing when he was recuperating instead.

Two hours later Derek heard Stiles start doing the dishes and finished his paragraph before going in and grabbing the tea towel. They worked next to one another for a while cleaning all the dishes before Stiles finally spoke.

"I don't think we should confront Joshua unless the whole pack is here."

Derek wiped the pot thinking. "I don't want anyone to get hurt."

"You keep getting hurt. We have seen this guy twice and he has caught us by surprise both times."

"I would know not to underestimate him next time."

"When he brings a gun, shoots you with a wolfsbane bullet and I have to cut your arm off for real this time?"

"Stiles."

"Would you put it past him?" Stiles asked.

"No." Derek said not saying anything else while he kept wiping. "What do you think we should do?" He asked finally when Stiles was finished washing everything.

"I think we should avoid him." Stiles said. "Just walk the other way until we know more. Try to get a photo or a last name, something we can use to get more information and find out who is he. Plus there was something he said about seeing what you did to someone. I think we need to find out what he is talking about there too."

"What did you make?"

"Pie, and lasagne and macaroni cheese. We need to go shopping we don't have anything left in the fridge except some yoghurt and a very sad looking lettuce."

"Okay." Derek said putting the last of the dishes away and leaving the kitchen to go back to his computer while Stiles pulled out a textbook and read in a curled up ball on one of the chairs.

It wasn't until that night when they were standing next to one another in the bathroom that Derek finally spoke. "It's a good idea; we'll do what you suggested about Joshua."

"So next time we see him."

"Run away." Derek said quietly unable to completely stomach the idea.

"I know you don't want to run away, I know you want to stand and fight but we don't know enough about him yet to know what we are doing and you always say a werewolf is strongest when they are with their pack."

"It's the right decision Stiles even if I don't like it."

Stiles nodded and Derek said goodnight disappearing into his bedroom.

It was still several weeks before they both stopped worrying if the other was late coming home, weeks before they didn't just happen to have finished studying when the other was going to be leaving class or just be planning on going to the library or bookshop or something when the other needed to leave for class. Even then they were just waiting for the other to come back.

/ * / * / * / * /


	9. Chapter 9

/ * / * / * / * /

Derek grabbed the spout and swung it to the side to wash out his lunch container when he heard steps behind him. He turned the tap off and was swinging the spout back around when he turned at Stiles' gasp. Standing in the kitchen doorway was Stiles wearing the tiniest towel Derek had ever seen which didn't do anything to hide anything, Derek was caught, but he didn't **want** to look away even though he knew he should. The last time Stiles had been this undressed in front of him he had been distracted with other things, namely getting that other man's smell off Stiles' body.

Derek let his eyes rake over Stiles' torso as both of them were frozen where they stood. Stiles was all long, firm bands of muscle, strong toned arms, slim hips, the lines of his waist drawing Derek's eyes as he had to force himself not to just walk over, press Stiles into the wall and devour what was hidden beneath the world's smallest towel. Derek's eyes were caught on the line of dark hair trailing from Stiles' belly button. Derek wondered how it would taste if he went over and just licked him, all the way down beneath the towel.

Derek's eyes were finally yanked away from Stiles' body when the man in front of him spoke.

"Sorry, I didn't think you were home."

"Class finished early. It's fine," Derek yanked his eyes away from Stiles' body looking just past his shoulder.

Stiles opened the fridge and grabbed the drink he had come for before turning and leaving the room.

Derek watched him leave, the long lines of his back walking away, and the spectacular arse hiding under that towel. Where the hell had that tiny fucking towel come from?

Derek turned around and looked at the spout in his hand, which was now spectacularly mangled, the indent of each of his fingers could be seen along the length of it and the opening was pointing to the roof instead of the sink. Derek slowly and carefully pulled his fingers from the metal and stood staring at it but all he was seeing was Stiles.

"Stiles, I'm going out I broke the sink." Derek called before grabbing his keys and wallet and leaving as quickly as he could with a raging hard on.

When he got home, before he fixed the sink he had a shower which was cold though that did nothing to stop his hand wrapping around his cock for two furiously fast wanks while he pictured Stiles bent over their kitchen table while Derek fucked him and Stiles begged for more.

He got out of the shower when he was sure he wasn't going to attack Stiles the first time he saw him and went to fix the sink. Stiles was standing, fully dressed, staring at it.

"What happened?"

"I slipped and was holding it. Accident." Derek said grabbing the new spout and moving over to the sink.

"So you want a hand?"

"No, it's fine." Derek said allowing his head to fall down onto his chest once Stiles had walked back to his bedroom. He was so completely and utterly fucked.

/ * / * / * / * /


	10. Chapter 10

/ * / * / * / * /

Stiles woke instantly grabbing his phone and mumbling into it.

"'Lo?"

"Stiles." He recognised Allison's voice instantly.

"Allison, what's wrong where are you?"

"Beacon Hills. I need your help. Can you come? Please?"

"Okay, what's happening?" Stiles asked as he rolled out of bed and pulled on a pair of pants, grabbing a shirt and jumper before rummaging for his keys and wallet.

"We had a fight. I don't know where he went. He shifted and ran and I'm worried about him Stiles. I can't go after him but…"

"I'll be there as soon as I can."

Stiles opened the door and found Derek standing on the other side holding his own keys and Stiles' wallet. He was fully dressed.

The sound of Stiles' phone had pulled Derek awake. It was early in the morning which meant something must be wrong. Allison's voice reached him through both doors which meant something is either wrong with Scott or there is something she didn't want him to know. Derek could hear Stiles agreeing to go there, getting dressed and before Derek had even really thought about it he was out of bed and pulling on some clothes, he found his keys on the kitchen table next to Stiles' and went to waiting in front of Stiles' door.

Stiles stared at him for a moment. Blinked at him a couple of times. "You're up?"

"I am now. Come on let's go." Derek grabbed the scarf off Stiles' door handle and wrapped it around his neck. "It's cold out." He mumbled.

"Allison, we'll be there as soon as we can. Go home I will call you when I find him." Stiles said into the phone.

"Oh Stiles, I don't want Scott to get in trouble. Don't bring Derek. It's all my fault really."

"He won't get in trouble. I will sort him out. I'll take care of it Allison, it will be okay." Stiles comforted through the phone as Derek started the Camero and pulled out on the road only speeding a little.

"Stiles…" Allison never finished her sentence.

"I know. I'll look after him."

"Thanks, can you stay on the phone. Until I'm home?" she asks sounding sad and in desperate need of a hug.

"Of course. How is uni?"

Alison let out a watery laugh and rattled off information about her course as she walked home and Stiles watched the scenery flash by out the window.

After she was home and said goodbye Stiles tried Scott's phone but his friend didn't answer. Stiles left a message telling Scott to stop being a butthead and call him.

Later Stiles fell asleep his head resting against his seatbelt, arms crossed across his chest.

Derek watched him from the corner of his eye. That was the problem with Stiles. He was always there for everyone else and so willing to do things for people when it would negatively impact on him. He should be at home sleeping, getting ready to write the big assignment due in a week instead he was in a car sleeping against a window and off to save Scott again.

When they drove into town and the car slowed down Stiles stirred, mumbling Derek's name. Derek knew it was nothing but his stomach clenched just a little at the sound of his name mumbled by Stiles in that half-asleep voice like they'd just woken up together. He wanted to hear his name like that more, all the time. Every damned day.

Derek turned down his driveway sensing Scott in the woods. "He's in the woods near that huge rock outcropping."

"Yeah I thought he might be." Stiles said stretching and yawning in the passenger seat.

"Why?"

"It's where we have always gone when we were upset and wanted to get away." Stiles said.

"We'll have to walk." Derek said parking as close as he could.

"No." Stiles said grabbing Derek's wrist before he could open his door. "This is about Scott I need to go alone, if you are there he won't talk to me the same way."

"I don't want you walking through the woods alone."

"Is there anyone here?"

"Only Scott." Derek said. "That doesn't change anything."

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I was hanging out in these woods way before you came along to protect me."

"That in no way makes me want to let you go. You are a trouble magnet Stiles."

"I am not a trouble magnet. There is no one around and Scott is here so I'm sure he will protect me if something were to happen. It will take me five minutes to get there from here."

Derek swept his eyes around the trees before nodding. After Stiles was out of sight Derek climbed out of the car and waited, listening in case something changed. When Stiles made it to Scott Derek climbed back into the car and drove away.

Later that morning after Derek had slept Stiles called him to ask when he wanted to go home.

"Whenever you are ready, is everything sorted out with Scott?"

"Yeah, Allison's dad cornered Scott the other day and then Allison and Scott had a huge fight about it last night. Scott got annoyed and ran away. It's sorted, he just called me to say he and Allison are having coffee and trying to work it out." Stiles told him over the phone. "Do you want me to come to you?"

"Can you get here?" Derek asked.

"Yeah. Dad's got work this morning so he can drop me off."

"Sure, that's good. I would like to do a couple of things around the house since I'm home."

"About an hour?"

"Sure. See you then." Derek hung up and went to chop up the tree that had fallen in a storm while he'd been away for firewood and mend the bit of fence it had taken out.

An hour later Derek heard the sheriff's car coming up the driveway. He dropped the dish towel and went to open the door. He waved to the sheriff as Stiles got out of the car. The sheriff waved back and then drove away leaving Stiles in the driveway waving at his dad.

Stiles turned around and started walking towards the house, he was wearing a pair of sunglasses until he made it to the porch then with a shrug pushed them up and Derek saw the dark bruising around Stiles' eye.

"Stiles!" Derek growled at the younger man as soon as he got into the house.

Stiles smiled at him. "Morning Derek."

"What the hell did he do to you?" Derek moved over, gripped Stiles' chin and tilted his head back so he could get a good look at his eye.

"We got into a fight. It's okay this was all human he wasn't wolfed out during the fight."

"That isn't good enough," Derek said trailing his fingers along the edge of the blue bruise around Stiles' left eye. "Even completely in control he is stronger than you."

"Didn't feel any different to the last time he punched me." Stiles said with a shrug.

"Last time?" Derek growled and walked out the door, shifting while Stiles called his name and running for Scott's house.

Stiles pulled out his phone to warn Scott but his friend didn't answer.

An hour later Derek came back with a dark look on his face and went straight upstairs to have a shower. Stiles finally got through to Scott.

"Hey." Stiles said.

"Derek saw your eye then." Scott said his voice sounded tight.

"Yeah, he wasn't impressed."

"No," Scott said. "I got a stern talking to about treating my pack mates with respect and protecting them, not hurting them."

"Stern talking to like when Jackson broke Lydia's arm in four places sending her to the hospital or stern talking to like when Danny almost yanked your arm from your body?"

"There was no head slapping involved so much more Danny than Jackson."

"Sorry, I tried to explain." Stiles said apologetically.

"He is right. I should have never let myself get into a fight with you."

"I punched you as well." Stiles defended.

"Yes, but I am a werewolf and had healed before your arm was back at your side."

"Just because you are a wolf does not mean I can't still get into a fight with you when you are being stupid." Stiles said with conviction. "I am fine, I will stab you with a wolfbane knife if you don't act like you always have."

Scott laughed and Stiles knew they were okay again. He heard the shower above stop so he said his goodbyes to Scott and waited for Derek.

Derek came downstairs looking much calmer but he handed the keys to Stiles and asked him to drive for a while anyway. Stiles grinned, he loved driving the Camero, and they both went outside to drive back to school not discussing Scott, in fact not discussing much of anything for a while.

Eventually Stiles started talking about wood nymphs. He'd been learning about them in class for the last couple of weeks. He babbled for almost half an hour before Derek finally joined in and they started talking like normal again. Neither of them bought up Stiles' black eye or Scott again.

/ * / * / * / * /

The next part is my absolute favourite part of this story...cannot wait.


	11. Chapter 11

I handed in two assignments today, spent five hours wasting time on 'Texts From Last Night' and ate a bag on clinkers, the only things that could make me feel better at the moment is if I was drunk. Alas I am not and TFLN made me feel like a totally boring prude. BUT on top of all of that I love this chapter so hard it's about to yell that I'm suffocating it and jump out of a moving car.

/ * / * / * / * /

It was Derek's birthday. Not that he expected to even hear a happy birthday; he had never told anyone when his birthday was and he liked it like that - no fuss and no expectations. Stiles kept bugging him, trying to get him to tell him the date but birthdays were not something he had celebrated since the fire. He made sure the rest of the pack had good birthdays; though if he was honest with himself mainly he just did what Stiles told him would be good for everyone's birthdays. His birthday however was just another day, nothing special.

Derek had gone to class after having breakfast with Stiles, then off to the library to search out some books for his class that he couldn't substitute with online resources and his lecturers refused to put in the e-resources. But finally after a long day Derek was walking home knowing that Stiles would have made dinner because he only had one class today and he always cooked on Wednesdays and always something complicated and lovely just because he could.

Derek knew he was horridly spoiled but living with Stiles turned out to be the best and worst idea he had ever had. He got to spend a lot of time with the man he loved but he could never touch. Derek shook his head, it was best not to worry about something that he could never fix because as much as it was getting harder not to press Stiles into the fridge and fuck him against the cool metal he had to keep reminding himself that it was for Stiles' own good that he kept his distance, that and the protection of that shred of self-esteem that told him he could have what he wanted if he just said something.

Derek walked up to his door and something funny tickled his nose. The overwhelming stench of lemon coating the door – not fake lemon which made Derek's nose revolt – but real lemon juice. Derek frowned but slid his key into the lock anyway wondering what Stiles had done to the door.

"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled the moment he opened the door and Derek smiled at the actual surprise that flooded his system.

"Ha!" Stiles said coming forward. "I wasn't sure if it would work but it did. Happy birthday." Stiles smiled and threw his arms around Derek in a fast, hard hug that was over before Derek even had the chance to enjoy it. Lydia and Allison came forward together to wrap their arms around him sandwiching him between the sweet scent of flowers that wafted off both of them as a bright flash captured them forever on Danny's camera.

"Happy birthday," the two girls said in unison as they pulled away. Scott didn't move forward just said his birthday wishes from his spot leaning against the couch. Jackson echoing his words from his spot, Danny ignored them both and pulled Derek into a quick back-patting hug and a mumbled happy birthday before he pulled away.

Derek remembered Stiles' birthday when every single member of the pack but him wrapped Stiles into tight hugs and head rubbing with back slapping and cheek pinching and kisses. Derek was pleased he wasn't Stiles for a moment, being tactile was a part of being in a pack, but Derek had never been good at one on one hugging.

"How did you know?" Derek asked Stiles.

"I stole your wallet and looked it up on your driver's license." Stiles said with a grin.

Derek glared at Stiles. "Of course you did."

"You refused to tell me." Stiles shrugged. "And until we started living together you guarded your wallet much better."

"Come on." Lydia said grabbing his hand and pulling him over to the couch where he was pushed down between Jackson and Danny. Derek smiled at her as she handed him a bright pink plastic cup.

"Lydia was in charge of cups." Stiles shrugged.

"There are lots of colours." Lydia defended.

"Then why am I drinking from Barbie's?" Derek asked taking a sip of Danny's famous punch…no alcohol which was probably best but just for a moment Derek wished there was some in there.

"Here." Jackson said shoving a present at Derek.

"Thanks, you shouldn't have bothered."

Suddenly Stiles was standing in front of Derek his hands on his hips as he stared down at with a glare. "Every year you do something for each of our birthdays. We have driven to San Francisco so Allison could have her birthday on a trolley restaurant because she thought it was cool. We took Lydia to Death Valley because she always wanted to go camping in a desert. We all traipsed back to Beacon Hills for Scott because he wanted to celebrate where you could all wolf out and run and play silly werewolf games. We drove to Los Angeles and went to the Olive Garden so Danny could star spot. We all went and froze to death so Jackson could see David Beckham play soccer because there was a cold snap that year. And you organised a party for me at home because I miss dad. But we shouldn't have bothered? Don't be a twit!"

"I was talking about the present." Derek defended but that just made Stiles glare a little harder.

"Danny what did you get for your birthday from Derek?"

"A new hard drive for my computer."

"Lydia?"

"Louboutin heels." Lydia said with a sigh. "Though that was from all of you."

"Scott?"

"Lemon and lime trees, and other gardening stuff," Scott said thinking of his garden at the house Derek had bought for him, Jackson and Danny to stay in while they were at university. "Oh, also I have transferred into the horticulture course. It's all accepted starting next semester."

"Excellent." Stiles said smiling at Scott who was congratulated by the pack, he'd finally found something that he really enjoyed to focus on at university. "Allison?"

"Some perfume that doesn't irritate werewolves. Which I am wearing now."

"Smells great," Scott said kissing her while Danny pretended to shoot himself.

"Jackson?"

"A new set of speakers."

"Stiles has a point." Lydia said watching Derek. "But no presents until later." Lydia stole the present from Derek's hands and put it on the kitchen table with the other ones.

"Yes." Derek said looking at Stiles. "I appreciate it everyone."

"Oh, it's all Stiles. He found out the date and told us all to be here. Then told us what to do." Jackson said grabbing some punch for himself.

"Thank you Stiles. I appreciate the effort you put in. I haven't really done birthdays since the fire; neither Laura nor I saw much point."

Stiles smiled. "You're welcome," Stiles face slipped down into a closed expression as he asked. "This is okay right?"

"It's great, thank you." Derek reassured him.

"Excellent." Stiles beamed. "Okay so we have some different options. We have games, we have movies, we can go to the movies. Or, and this is what we thought you would probably pick. You were talking about the fact you used to play Donkey Kong with your sister. And Jackson bought his machine, so we can play that if you want."

"Donkey Kong?"

"Yeah."

Derek looked at Stiles for a moment; he'd found out his birthday and found Donkey Kong. Derek had loved the game when he was little. He'd always beaten Laura, though to start with he was fairly certain she let him win. He hadn't played since well before the fire. Laura had gone to university and he'd never really had many friends. Then Kate became the only thing he thought about. He wanted to play; he wanted to have fun with his pack and knew it wouldn't be the painful memory things normally were when they'd stopped because of the fire.

Derek smiled. "I am so going to kick all of your arses."

"Oh hell no!" Jackson said getting up to set the machine up.

"Oh it is on like donkey kong!" Lydia said with glee. "I have no idea what this is."

"But you know that saying?" Allison asked.

"I know everything!" Lydia said.

"Snacks?" Stiles asked.

"Do we have any of those cheese things you hide from me when you are studying?" Derek asked.

"Yeah." Stiles said grabbing a bowl and putting it on the table before squashing himself between Allison and Danny.

"Okay, so you are looking for bananas and throwing barrels?" Lydia said trying to work out what the buttons did as Jackson cackled from the other end of the couch.

"Yeah, no, the other button. Again. quickly." Danny said just barely holding himself back from reaching over Derek and grabbing the console out of her hands.

"Oh this is silly…YAY! Oh did you see that, I clobbered that one with a barrel."

"Diddy Kong is on your side." Allison said.

"So? I hit something with a damnable barrel." Lydia said with glee throwing another one and hitting the right thing this time.

When Lydia died for the last time and handed the controller over to Scott she moved away from Derek to squeeze into a spot next to Stiles basically sitting on his lap.

Scott did marginally better at the game than Lydia had.

"So that was fun," Lydia said. "What else are we doing?"

"That is up to Derek," Stiles said resting his chin on Lydia's shoulder to watch Scott jump over Diddy to collect more bananas.

"Chinese," Derek said stealing the controller from Scott when he died and watching the TV seriously.

"Oh so that's how it works," Lydia said after they'd watched Derek play the game for a while.

Stiles smiled into her back. "He used to play with his sister he should be good."

"Manual dexterity," Lydia said with a smirk and a gentle elbow back into his ribs.

"What?" Stiles asked laughing at the look of surprise on Jackson's face.

Lydia shook her head. "Nevermind."

/ / /

Later after Derek spectacularly beat Jackson (and everyone else) Stiles ordered enough food for an army. Stiles came back in from the kitchen to find Derek holding something behind his back and glaring at Jackson.

"Stiles," Jackson whined. "Derek won't tell us what he has behind his back."

"Okay," Stiles said with a shrug. "Who wants a drink?"

"Stiles," Jackson growled. "Make him tell us what he is going to subject us to."

"I'll have water," Lydia said shaking her head, Stiles knew if she was in a comic book there would be a thought bubble above her head question why she let him take her virginity.

"Orange juice?" Allison asked.

"I'll help," Scott said sliding out from under Allison.

"Coke," Jackson mumbled with a pout.

Danny rolled his eyes and held up his fingers in a signal for two.

"Me too," Derek said with a grin. "I told you to guess Jackson."

"I did," Jackson said.

Derek grinned at him. "Yes and your guess of Man vs. Wild was both stupid and incorrect."

"I like Man vs. Wild," Jackson said. "He built a raft and almost got eaten by tiger sharks."

Lydia slapped herself in the forehead.

"What?" Jackson asked turning to her.

"I cannot believe I ever let you touch my breasts."

Stiles laughed as he dropped the drinks on the table before sliding into the chair next to Lydia who simply climbed into his lap instead.

"You have to guess," Derek said again with an evil grin.

"Breakfast at Tiffany's?" Lydia said.

"Look Who's Talking?" Danny suggested.

"Lord Of The Rings?" Allison asked.

"Avengers – Earth's Mightiest Heroes?" Scott questioned.

Jackson pouted and glared at Derek. "Pride and Prejudice?"

"Stop pouting, Man vs. Wild isn't that bad you don't need to sulk," Stiles said.

"What?" Jackson said hulking down further. "I like the BBC version, Lydia made me watch it until I could quote it."

"It is very good," Stiles said biting his lip and turning back to Derek. "Does it have a flux capacitor?"

Derek beamed at him. "It really does."

Stiles laughed.

"Why do you always get this shit right?" Jackson asked.

"Because," Stiles stood up and threw himself down on Jackson. "I live with him and he had a weird love of all things Michael J. Fox and really, really loves these movies." Stiles started nosing at Jackson's neck. "I have seen them heaps of times. It's his feeling stressed, sick, etc movie."

"Stiles stop," Jackson laughed pushing him away. "I'm annoyed at you and you aren't allowed to nuzzle your way out of it."

"But I'm such a good nuzzle," Stiles said nosing at his shoulder.

"Fine," Jackson said pushing Stiles off him so he landed with an oomph on the floor. "I won't be annoyed anymore."

"See," Stiles said grabbing the DVD out of Derek's hand. "You might be the shit at Donkey Kong but I can nuzzle the bad mood right out of Jackson. Sit down birthday boy and prepare to travel through time."

"Are you high?" Allison asked trying to get a look at Stiles' pupils.

Stiles grinned at her and put the DVD in.

"No," Lydia said. "But he's been devouring the sour gummi worms."

"Oh crap," Scott said pulling the bowl away from where Stiles was sitting next to Lydia. "No more for you!"

/ / /

George had just knocked Biff to the ground when the doorbell rang and Danny stood to get the food.

"Did you order enough food?" Derek asked watching the food being unpacked on the table in front of them while Scott and Allison collected plates and cutlery.

"I don't think he did," Jackson said grabbing a spring roll.

"Don't eat it yet," Stiles said stealing the roll and shoving it into his mouth. "It's not polite."

Jackson laughed at him as he started opening containers.

They passed around the food while they watched Marty McFly create rock music and make his way back to the 1980s. After dinner, when the movie was over Stiles jumped from the couch and ran into the kitchen.

"Jackson turn off the lights," Stiles yelled from the kitchen.

Jackson jumped up and followed his order before Stiles came back into the room holding a cake that looked to be completely alight.

"Holy crap Stiles," Danny said. "Should I get the fire extinguisher?"

"He's a werewolf, that's seven birthdays for every one human birthday," Stiles said with a grin.

Derek growled at him as he set the cake down on the table in front of him.

"Stiles," Lydia said pulling him down for a quick kiss between his eyebrows. "Sometimes you are my hero."

"He's always my hero," Scott said with a smile.

Derek groaned. "Why is my birthday code for be mean to your alpha night?"

"Put the glow-y eyes away Derek and get ready to blow out your candles."

Derek waited patiently with a smile as they sung him happy birthday getting very loud on the hoorays before Derek attempted to blow out the candles, all the candles. It took him three breaths which just made Stiles beam at him. Derek ignored the look that Lydia was giving him as he smiled at Stiles who was handing him a singing knife.

"You are so stupid about birthdays," Derek said as the cake knife sung him happy birthday.

"Who in their right mind has a singing cake slice?" Danny asked.

Stiles frowned at him. "You complain now but later when you think back and you remember that the big bad wolf," he turned and grinned at Derek who was still cutting his cake. "Was cutting his cake with it you'll feel better while he is yelling at you over doing something stupid."

Danny nodded and pulled out his camera taking another photo or possibly a video. "You're right."

"I have no respect," Derek said with a sigh handing out some cake. "Hey this is chocolate mousse cake."

"Of course it is," Stiles said taking the piece and handing it down the line. "That's your favourite."

Derek smiled at him. "Thank you."

"Time for presents," Stiles said when everyone had cake. "Then we can watch the other two movies."

"Damn right!"

"If they got back to the 1980s why on earth do they need to keep time travelling?" Jackson asked.

"You've seriously never seen these movie?" Derek asked.

"I'm not as old as you after all I saw the candles on that cake."

Derek groan was drowned out by the laughter from the rest of the pack.

When Scott had wolfed down his cake, and Danny almost choked laughing at that joke, he went and collected the presents sitting on the table. Dumping them on the table in front of Derek. "Allison and I cheated, we got your present together. Here."

Derek pulled the box close to him and started undoing the paper.

"Of course he's a careful unwrapper," Lydia said with a smile.

"Being cautious, careful and controlled are not things to scoff at," Derek said. "After all you have all tested those things out on more than one occasion. Just look at my cake."

"It's your favourite type of cake," Stiles reminded.

"Yes with more candles than Methuselah," Derek said pointed at the mound of them next to his half-eaten cake.

"Dude, dog years!"

Derek sighed and went back to his present. When he'd unwrapped the bright green paper he found a blue box. "Allison wrapped this didn't you?"

"I really did," Allison said with a beaming grin.

"How many layers?"

"Three."

Derek opened the box and pulled out a circular object covered in paper with three bows covering it. "There is something wrong with you."

"I love wrapping presents," Allison said with a shrug knowing that even though Derek was mocking her the group around her didn't judge her for her love of wrapping paper and ribbons.

Derek peeled the ribbons off the present and frowned at the strange orange ball in his hand.

"What?"

"Open it," Scott said.

Derek opened the container and out came a CD, and two tickets.

"It's Donkey Kong for your computer and tickets to see Metallica next month."

Derek smiled at them. "That's brilliant, thank you."

"You're welcome," Scott said leaning forward. "I hope you like them."

"It's great, I really appreciate it."

Allison smiled and wrapped her arms around him in a hug. "I'm really glad you liked them."

Derek hugged her back. "Excellent wrapping too."

"I know right."

Danny reached under the couch and pulled a long and wide flat box out from under there. "Here."

"Wow, enthusiastic," Jackson said nudging Danny with his shoulder. "It's a great present."

Derek smiled at them both before finding the sticky tape and pulling at it unwrapping the present slowly. Inside was a frame with its back facing towards Derek.

"What is it?" Stiles asked balanced precariously behind him so he could peer over the older man's shoulder.

"A frame."

Stiles dropped his head down onto Derek's shoulder shaking his head. "Sarcasm thy torch is passed."

Derek ignored him to pull the frame out and turn it over. On the other side was a large photo of the lake on Derek's land. The landscape was bathed in moonlight and hidden in the shadows Derek could just make out the darker shapes of some of his pack. He knew that unless someone knew they were there, knew what they were people would never find them lost in the rest of the picture.

"You took this," Derek said smiling at Danny. On their last full moon, the only one they had been able to get together for since Jasmine and everything that happened, Danny had pulled his camera out when they'd been down at the lake. Their full moon was more playful and relaxed than they had had in a long time Allison and Stiles with them. Under the bright light of the moon they'd played and run and frolicked. Danny had taken a number of photos that night but Derek hadn't seen this one before.

"I did," Danny said. "It was the best one of the whole night and I thought it would look good in your lounge room."

"It's great," Stiles said leaning out and over Derek. "I see Derek and I see Lydia but where the heck am I?"

Lydia laughed. "Why would you want a picture of you when you could have a picture of me, have you seen how hot I am?"

Stiles pulled back from Derek and threw himself at Lydia. "Sure you're hot enough to sizzle but I was informed by a very reliable source at the last party I was at that I'm very cute and that if I wanted to I could join in the threesome happening upstairs and fine the guy was beyond toasted but I'll take it."

"What party was this?" Derek asked turning to him.

"That floor party I went to with MJ the other week, you remember you growled that I still smelled of pot the next day when you got home from Beacon Hills. I think I got a contact high from one girl who decided I was a perfect chair."

"You called me from that party," Lydia said. "Nerds don't have parties as good as that; I'm coming to the next one."

"There is a fancy dress frat party next month I've been invited to come for that."

"Deal."

"Jackson," Stiles said turning to him. "Your turn."

Jackson smiled and grabbed his present handing it back to Derek.

Derek started unwrapping the gift frowning down at the box. He opened it and found a card inside. He frowned at Jackson who nodded at him to look. Derek pulled the card out and looked inside. He looked up at Jackson and beamed at him.

"Really?"

"I remember you saying you wanted to so," Jackson said.

"This is brilliant, are you going to come with me?"

Jackson nodded. "I'd like to."

"Good," Derek smiled at the rest of the pack who was watching him confused.

"As happy as we are that you are excited about this gift," Lydia said nudging Derek's elbow. "We'd all be much more excited with you if you told us what it is."

"Sorry," Derek pulled the gift certificate out so that they could all see it. "We're going sky diving."

"Sky diving?" Scott asked. "That's awesome."

"Derek mentioned that he wanted to go ages ago and I thought it was something fun to do for his birthday though now I have to work out what to do for Christmas."

"It's great, thanks Jackson."

"You're welcome."

Lydia stood up and disappeared into Stiles' room.

"What are you doing in my room?"

"Right," Lydia called through the walls. "One of the professors at my university is nutso but he is also freaking awesome. I had no idea what to get you Derek but then I found out that he…" Lydia came out something hiding behind her back. "…created luminous goldfish. How awesome is that?" she pulled the little fish tank out from behind her back inside three little goldfish were swimming around. "Okay someone turn off the goddamn lights so my present looks less crappy."

Stiles stood up and started turning off the lights around the apartment until they were plunged into darkness and the swimming fish started to glow. "That is super cool."

"Wow Lydia," Derek said coming over and taking the fish tank away from her. "I have never had fish that glow before."

"Well only super weird scientists would create them so it's a good thing you have an in with one."

"How'd you get it?" Stiles asked turning the lights back on.

"He was giving a lecture and I corrected his maths, he pouted and then I got dragged into his office. There was the fish. I'm not sure how it happened but I got the fish when a short guy with really tight pants tried to hit on me and I slapped him down harder than I have ever slapped anyone."

"Thank you Lydia."

"You are very hard to buy for," Lydia said. "Next year I want a list."

"Okay," Stiles said standing up and grabbing his present and handing it to Derek. "Mine now, lucky last."

Derek took the gift and started opening it.

"It's a photo," Derek said confused holding it up. "Of my house."

Stiles grinned at him. "There are more in there."

Derek dug back into the bag and pulled out a slip of white paper and another couple of photos. "Presents aren't supposed to be this hard to work out."

"You are such a whiny arse," Stiles said. "Hurry up and look."

"A receipt," Derek said. "For a raised garden bed?"

Stiles nodded and pointed at the photos. Derek frowned and continued flicking.

"This is my backyard, and your dad and Scott, and a raised garden bed. What did you do?"

"I went to your backyard and I put a raised garden bed there," Stiles said.

"Smart arse."

Stiles turned to look at his backside. "I know right?"

"Stiles," Derek growled lightly.

"Fine, you are so boring. The other week when I went home to hang out with dad I got him and Scott to help me set up the garden bed at your place. The next picture is of the lemon tree we planted," Stiles waited until Derek found the picture. "For future needs since lemons are weirdly expensive and you never know when I'm going to need them. I was talking to Dr Deaton and between him and the books I've been reading of yours I've been putting together a list of medicinal plants specifically for werewolves. Some were easy to find and we planted them but the rest are going to be harder to get to. Basically it's a little garden where we can grow things to help the werewolves. That and I got you a light sabre that glows and makes noise it's mounted above your bed."

Derek laughed and left the room. "It's actually mounted above my bed, but that makes it harder to play with."

"No it's not bolted or anything just sitting on the hooky things."

"Thank you. You're really making me a garden of werewolf medicinal herbs?"

"We might need them for the future."

"We probably will too," Derek nodded. "They are awfully accident prone. Are you growing wolfsbane?"

"No," Stiles said. "But dad agreed to let me plant it in his backyard so they aren't there to be used against you but is close by so that we can get to it if we need to and Dad has some if there are any wolf-y problems in town when we're not there."

Derek grinned at Stiles, he'd got him a gift that was for his whole pack. And a light sabre, Derek loved the presents, all of them. "Let me know what plants you're looking for and I'll see if I can get them from the other packs I know."

"Thanks."

"This is a great birthday."

Derek pushed the wrapping paper onto the floor so he could line his presents up in front of him. "I have an awesome pack." Not one of his pack disagreed with him and if they preened a little with pride no one said anything.

With the wrapping paper surrounding them and all of Derek's presents on the table Stiles slid the next DVD into the machine and they settled down to watch the movie.

/ / /

"Derek?" Stiles asked pushing the door open.

"Yes Stiles?" Derek turned around and dropped his jumper over the chair.

"Scott and Allison stole my bed, Lydia has camped out on the couch and Danny and Jackson are stretched out on all the remaining comfortable surfaces. I have nowhere to sleep." Stiles looked at Derek as pathetically as he could manage which made Derek want to laugh.

"So…" Derek said pushing for more time so he could work out if letting Stiles have the other side of his bed was a good idea or asking for trouble and if he would be able to stop himself from pressing the younger man into his mattress licking him from his toes to the spot behind his ears before wrapping himself in the other man's body and begging to be devoured. Probably best not to offer him the other half of the mattress.

Stiles blushed. "I was wondering if I could steal a pillow. I don't mind sleeping on the floor but Lydia growled at me when I tried to grab a cushion from the couch and I only have the two pillows on my bed and there are two people in there and…can I borrow a pillow?"

Derek stared at Stiles for a moment. "You can sleep here if you want." Derek contemplated throwing himself out the window because that was not what he wanted to say.

"No, no that's alright. I'll just make a bed out of blankets and I'll be fine."

"That doesn't seem right." Derek wondered if it is possible for your brain to be completely removed from your mouth. "Stay here. It's a big bed and it wouldn't be the first time you'd shared a bed with the pack."

Derek thought of the times Stiles had ended up buried beneath Jackson when the boy had come to stay and decided the couch wasn't for him but that Derek would impale him if he tried to steal half his bed. He thought of Lydia curling up with Stiles to chat all night when she came to visit or Stiles curling around her when she came seeking comfort from the only person she seemed willing to let herself be vulnerable around. He thought of the easy way Scott and Stiles would fall asleep next to each other on any surface, the couch, Stiles' bed and once the floor behind the couch where they had been shooting nerf pellets at the roof. He thought about the tentative way Danny had slept next to him after he'd been bitten and the carefree way the two of them threw themselves onto surfaces and pressed close now. He couldn't think of a single occasion when he had fallen asleep next to Stiles, he had never let himself get that close but he could not allow Stiles to sleep on the floor if he had a perfectly good and half empty mattress.

"Yeah, course. Okay. I'm just going to go and brush my teeth." Stiles ducked from the room quickly and closed himself in the bathroom.

Derek was staring at his bed when he heard someone at the door; he turned his head and looked at Lydia who threw him a large grin and a wink before sauntering back to the couch. Moments later Stiles appeared at his door wearing his pyjamas pants and a top, Derek knew Stiles didn't normally wear a top to bed but he was incredible pleased for the material tonight.

"Just give me a second." Derek said grabbing his own sleeping pants and an old shirt before ducking into the bathroom himself. He was halfway through brushing his teeth before he thumped his head against the wall next to the mirror and cursed himself for being an idiot. Being in a bed with Stiles was possibly the worst decision he had made since he'd gotten drunk with Jasmine and said yes to her advances that one stupid night. He knew he would regret this not because he had once again slept with someone who he didn't like but because he knew if he ever let himself go and tasted Stiles he'd be ruined and he'd never let the man go. Stiles deserved someone much better than Derek, Stiles deserved someone who wouldn't end up getting him hurt and Derek had learned the hard way that love just lead to getting hurt and Derek wasn't sure if he would survive Stiles dying. He shook his head, he was being stupid. It was one night sleeping next to Stiles, it was nothing. They would keep their distance and it would all be fine and Derek could go back to just keeping a very deliberate distance from Stiles whenever he could.

This was nothing; Derek knew he'd be fine. He left the bathroom and went back to his room finding Stiles staring at his bed like it was going to bite him.

"I don't mind sleeping on the floor." Stiles said when Derek came in.

"Don't be silly." Derek said not sure who was in control of his mouth it didn't seem to be him. "Big bed. Just jump in and go to sleep."

Derek tried to set an example by moving over and getting in to bed, he tripped on the mat just before he got there and ended up stumbling onto the bed. Stiles laughed at him and Derek felt all the tension leave his body as he grinned at Stiles.

"Who is the alpha werewolf again?" Stiles asked as he crawled into Derek's bed.

"Shut up Stiles." Derek glared before getting into bed too before reaching up to turn off the lamp.

Derek could feel Stiles, the heat radiating off his body and through the space between them to warm Derek's side. He could hear his heartbeat just a little faster than normal. He could smell him, and if he reached out a hand he'd be able to touch him. He wanted to, desperately, and this was the real reason that this was a bad idea. He wanted to reach out and touch Stiles and he was so close, he could pretend to be asleep and roll over and press himself all along Stiles' side. The temptation burned in his hands and arms and legs making him feel like he was going to explode at any moment.

Derek couldn't relax; he was terrified that he'd do something that would show Stiles how he felt. It felt like he'd been lying in his bed not moving, holding his breath and ordering himself not to reach out for hours when he made a decision. With a gentle mutter he rolled to the side and off the bed, he made sure to catch himself before settling on the floor next to his bed and held his breath hoping Stiles was asleep enough not to have noticed what he'd done.

No such luck moments later Stiles' head appeared over the side of the bed and looked down at him. "Derek, what are you doing?"

"I lost something under the bed." Derek said turning his head to look under the bed.

"Your porn collection?"

Derek laughed and stood up moving back into the bed. "I don't need to hide my porn under my bed. I'm not fourteen anymore."

"Where do you hide it then?"

Derek isn't sure how they got here, he is never sure how they get anywhere in these conversations – porn is probably not a good topic of conversation. "Stiles, I think maybe this is a conversation we shouldn't be having."

"I hide mine under my socks." Stiles said then hit himself on his head.

"Top of my closet."

"How did we start talking about this?"

"I never know how we start talking about anything Stiles. Shut up and go to sleep."

"Night Derek."

"Goodnight Stiles."

This time Derek found it easier to go to sleep, letting his breathing match Stiles' and pulling the smell of the younger man into his body until the world floated away and he went to sleep.

When Derek woke up there were too many arms and legs in the bed and he had no idea where Stiles had grown them but it felt as though the younger man has at least six of each. He wasn't even awake long enough to think about moving away pulled back down by warmth, comfort and finally getting exactly what he wanted.

The next time Derek woke up there was a bright flash, a giggle and his bedroom door closed with a definite click. He pulled himself from Stiles slowly trying not to wake the other man up but just as he was pulling his left foot from between Stiles' ankles he lost his fight for balance and once again ended up on his arse on the floor. He lifted his head above the mattress but Stiles had starfished out the second Derek's body was gone and was snoring very quietly.

Derek stood up and left the room, closing the door behind him. He walked into the lounge room and found his entire pack on the couch looking at Lydia's camera. She turned when she heard him and shoved the device down her top and tried to look innocent.

"You keep your porn in your cupboard?" Lydia said with a sly grin.

Derek growled at her and stalked into the kitchen to get himself a cup of coffee. Twenty minutes later Stiles joined him in the kitchen asking why everyone looked so downright gleeful it was scary.

Derek growled again and handed Stiles a mug of coffee.

/ * / * / * / * /

**TBC...**

I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I did...I love this chapter.


	12. Chapter 12

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Stiles sat in a café across from MJ smiling at her story when he saw him, Joshua, staring at him from a table against the opposite wall.

"Stiles? What's wrong?" MJ asked turning around to look behind her, spotting the man who was staring at Stiles. "Who is he?"

"We need to leave." Stiles said standing up. "No, I need to leave, you can stay it's better if you do. I'll call you later tonight." Stiles leaned over and kissed MJ on the cheek before grabbing his bag and leaving quickly.

MJ turned around again and looked at the man who had spooked Stiles and found that he was standing now as well, walking across the room to follow Stiles. She waited until the man passed her and then stood to follow. She didn't know what had Stiles spooked enough to tell her to stay in a crowded place but she wasn't leaving him alone to it.

MJ kept her distance but watched as Stiles walked quickly through the campus with strange man following him. Stiles diverted through a part of the university under construction slowing down and allowing the man to catch up to him. They exchanged word and MJ moved closer to try and hear what was being said. Stiles gestured at the man sweeping across his face and chest. The other man reached out blindingly fast and grabbed onto Stiles' arm. MJ started walking over faster no longer worried about being spotted as the man turned Stiles' wrist over said something and fled.

MJ made it over just as Stiles looked down at his own wrist and swore.

"Who was that guy?" MJ asked as she came over to him.

"You shouldn't have followed me." Stiles said shoving his hand into his pocket and sliding his other through her elbow so he could turn her and they could start to walk back to her dorm.

"What are you involved in Stiles?"

"He has been following Derek and I. We don't know why. I just didn't want you to get involved in case he turns weird."

"Weirder than stalking you?"

"Not stalking, I have only seen him a few times. He just doesn't seem to like Derek and, by extension, me." Stiles said refusing to turn and see if he was being followed again.

"Maybe he's one of those bigots who doesn't like the man-love." MJ said trying desperately for a jovial tone even though she was worried about Stiles.

"There is no man-love occurring."

"You are living together."

"In separate bedrooms where we sleep by ourselves every night." Stiles said flushing.

"But what happens before the going to sleep?" MJ teased.

"We watch television or study and we have dinner together and I think about him in ways that are completely inappropriate." Stiles said then slapped himself on the forehead.

"Just for me would you crawl into bed with him and blow him; see what happens?" MJ asked as they stopped at her dorm entrance.

"If I was going to humiliate myself for anyone it would be you but no I am definitely not going to be doing that."

MJ reached her hand up and curled it around Stiles' cheek. "Idiot."

"Thanks, go inside. I'll see you Friday."

MJ's smile fell off her face. "I'm worried about you Stiles."

Stiles smiled at her. "I promise you things are fine, honestly he dislikes Derek for something, just walk the other way if you see him. I am positive he's harmless but just in case yeah?"

"He was watching you."

"He was in the café we were in," Stiles said. "I dragged him out so I could talk to him."

"He followed you out because you were spooked."

"MJ, I promise you everything is okay," Stiles grinned at her. "Look at me, I'm not worried. Besides worst comes to worst I'll get my dad to look into him."

MJ frowned at him for a long time before she finally nodded. "If you need anything you can come to me okay?"

Stiles pulled her close and tight into a hug. "I promise."

"Okay, bye. Stiles, be careful." MJ said when Stiles had pulled away a small wrinkle still between her eyesbrown.

"I will, don't worry about me."

"Alright, bye." MJ bounced up and kissed Stiles on the cheek before turning and going inside. She turned back and waved after she'd opened the security door knowing he was watching her go inside.

Stiles turned when the door closed behind her and walked back to the apartment quickly so he could tell Derek about what had happened.

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	13. Chapter 13

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"Derek what are you doing Thursday night." Stiles called out from the kitchen.

"Not much I am going to the library after class but nothing after why?" Derek called back from the bathroom.

"My study group, not the one from journalism, another one needs a place to study. We were going to use the rooms in the library but they are all booked. You mind if we do it here?" Stiles said as he walked towards the bathroom and finished the question from the doorway.

"All good, I can stay at the library if you like." Derek said watching Stiles in the mirror.

"No, we should be finished by the time you are done in the library I have an early class that day."

Derek smiled at Stiles and shoved his toothbrush into his mouth grinning around the foaming toothpaste.

When Derek came home from the library on Thursday there were six people in his living room having a loud argument about ethics in journalism and what the government should and should not be allowed to demand from a reporter about sources. The voices stopped immediately when Derek walked into the room.

"Sorry." Derek said with a smile. "Don't let me interrupt." Derek walked through the kitchen to grab some water and then straight through to his bedroom.

"Who is that?" One of the women in the lounge room asked.

"My roommate Derek."

"Straight, gay, single, relationship. Enquiring minds want to know." The voice said again.

"Sam, don't be so…" A male voice started.

"Much like a slut?" Another female voice supplied before the first girl laughed.

"I am a university student if I am not having too much sex how on Earth am I going to know what I will be missing when I am old and married?"

"Straight and single." Stiles supplied. "And completely off limits to you."

"Why?" The woman identified as Sam said.

"Because he's my friend and I would appreciate you not using him to gain powers as the succubus you are."

"Oh." A new voice said. "Sam let it go."

"Why?" Sam asked.

There was some whispering so quiet even Derek couldn't hear.

"Okay," Sam said finally. "I won't go near him. Please tell me he's evil or stupid."

"He's a good person and studying to be an accountant." Stiles said. "What did you say to her Clark?"

"Nothing." Clark said.

"Where did you meet him Stiles?"

"Back home. We came to Berkeley together."

"He's older isn't he?" asked another new voice.

Derek wished he'd actually stopped to be introduced so he could put more than two names to the voices.

"Yeah, couple of years he took some time off. We were studying right?" Stiles said trying to get the group back on topic.

"We were until the hottest man I have ever seen walked in and I went into heat." Sam said laughing. "Now we aren't doing much."

"Do you have any shame?" The other woman asked.

"Nope." Sam said. "I know what I want out of my university experience, think of it as hot guy bingo."

"So, we are going to a write a report on the different ways that the government can entice a reporter to reveal their sources as well as examples of instances when they worked. We need to comment on the effectiveness of that type of encouragement. We have found the examples we want to write about how are we going to divvy up the workload?" Stiles said using his firmest voice.

"I think if we all start with a single section and then get together to edit to give it a cohesive feel." The other woman said.

"You guys are no fun. Fine, we will need a deadline for the first round of writing." Sam said obviously pouting.

Derek smiled at himself as he threw himself back onto his bed and put his headphone on to listen to music instead of doing the mountain of reading he had.

/ * / * / * / * /

Short and pointless but I just wanted some easy fluff.


	14. Chapter 14

Thank to **Twisted-67** for the idea behind the magazine, great way to end this chapter, hope you enjoy.

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Derek heard the key in the lock and turned to the door, he wasn't waiting up for Stiles, he didn't need to wait for him he was just still awake.

"Hey, this is my place," Stiles' voice carried through the door so Derek got up and opened it surprising MJ who was supporting Stiles and trying to get the door open.

"MJ?" Derek said his eyes on Stiles who was grinning at him stupidly.

"Hey Derek," MJ said shifting her hold on Stiles who pulled away, stumbled forward and face planted into Derek's chest. Derek absorbed the impact and wrapped his arms around Stiles to keep him from falling further.

"We were celebrating," MJ said stepping into the apartment.

"So Stiles said when he called," Derek said supporting Stiles and moving him onto the couch.

"We celebrated quite hard," MJ giggled flopping down next to Stiles. "Sorry," she said shuffling a little further away from Stiles.

"Don't apologise, he's the one who's going to have a hangover in the morning."

MJ frowned at him. "My God you are both so fucking stupid."

Derek took a step back. "Excuse me?"

"You look at him like he is the centre of your fucking universe and yet you don't **do** anything."

"I don't know what you are talking about," Derek said stepping away and into the kitchen coming back with two large glasses of water. Derek didn't particularly like MJ but Stiles would be disappointed if he wasn't nice to her.

"Thank you," MJ said. "Forget what I said earlier, not important."

Derek nodded. "Do you want to stay here tonight?"

"Oh please," MJ said turning and curling up on couch tucking her feet up under Stiles' legs.

Derek leaned forward and shook Stiles' shoulder.

"What?" Stiles mumbled.

"Come to bed," Derek said gripping his shoulders and helping him stand.

"'Kay," Stiles said wrapping himself around Derek hugging him tight.

"It's going to be hard to walk like this," Derek said grabbing the other glass of water and slowly moving them towards his room.

Derek half tugged and half carried Stiles into his room. He put the glass of water down and tried to push Stiles into bed but the younger man held tight and dove onto the bed dragging Derek down with him. Derek tried to pull away but Stiles' arms were locked around him.

"We did real good on the oral," Stiles mumbled into his neck his breath hot and damp.

Derek couldn't get past the overwhelming smell of Stiles surrounding him. It was embedded in the sheets and pouring off of Stiles who was plastered to his front, one of his legs thrown up and over to curl around his thigh. Derek needed to get away desperately. He needed to not be here with Stiles because nothing was hiding his reaction and eventually Stiles' addled brain would register that thing poking into his hip was not anything innocent but proof that Derek was hornier than…well than he had ever been as a teenager.

"Stiles," Derek said.

Stiles mumbled something and stared nuzzling Derek's neck.

"Goddamn it Stiles," Derek allowed himself to wolf out and start pulling away from Stiles who grumbled and wrapped around him like an octopus, he locked his legs at the ankles and his hands behind Derek's neck and held on tight.

"Stiles!" Derek growled allowing the wolf out enough to make his voice deep and terrifying moments later he heard feet padding down the hallway quickly but Stiles just threaded a hand into his hair and breathed deeply against his neck.

MJ stopped at the door and started laughing, loudly, as Derek tried to get away.

"The least you could do is try and help me get away," Derek ground out pushing at Stiles.

"Nah," MJ said walking away. "I don't think you really want to."

Derek swore viciously and slumped down trying to work out how to get out of this situation, he swore at MJ for being right and he swore at Stiles who was still clinging to him but had started snoring very quietly in his ear.

Derek rolled which at least took his heavier bulk off Stiles but the younger man still didn't let go. Derek took a deep breath and silently apologised to Stiles before reaching down to the soft flesh at his waist and pinching him.

"Ow," Stiles said slapping Derek before loosening his arms. "Not nice Mr Sourwolf."

Derek wasn't sure if he had heard the muttered words correctly but at least now he could get some leverage to pull out of Stiles' arms. Stiles groaned, muttered something and then sprang out over the entire bed like a starfish. Derek rolled his eyes and grabbed a blanket throwing it over Stiles before putting a couple of tablets next to the large glass of water on the bookcase next to Stiles' bed. Derek checked the front door was locked, noticed that MJ was spread out on his couch asleep and snoring quietly. Probably best to mention that to Stiles in the morning. Derek turned all but the over stove light off and took his own glass into his room. He changed into pyjama pants and crawled into bed.

Derek groaned and turned his bedside light on. He still couldn't sleep and the clock on the wall told him he'd been lying in bed for over an hour trying. The fact he couldn't sleep wasn't a surprise he felt like he could still feel Stiles wrapped around him. Derek flipped over again and screamed into his pillow as quietly as he could. He stared up at the ceiling for a while telling his body that it was fine and it could just go to sleep. He counted imaginary sheep jumping over an imaginary fence but that didn't help at all. He focussed on his breathing but realised after a while that he'd let his hearing reach out through the apartment and he was actually focussing on Stiles' breathing not his own.

Derek swore vigorously and silently as he got out of bed and went to his cupboard. Under the boxes of material from previous units was a single magazine. Bought not long after Stiles moved in for the express purpose of giving Derek something else to think about when he couldn't help himself and just had to get off. The magazine, and Derek could still feel the rush of awkwardness and embarrassment he'd felt buying it, was apparently a bisexual publication. Derek had picked it because if he was going to try and convince his body to want someone other than Stiles he wanted options.

Derek took it back over with him to his bed and spared only a moments thought for the other people here, he didn't worry about them, both human, both drunk, and in the months since Stiles had moved in Derek had become very good at being very quiet while he did this. Derek opened the magazine deliberately focussing on it and not on Stiles…Stiles' dextrous fingers, or the long line of his back when he was wearing a tight shirt and bent over and…Derek shook himself and focussed on the picture in front of him. Her flicked to a random page and swore. He flicked to another but that page held the same problem as the last. He flicked through the whole magazine but they were everywhere.

Every man in the magazine had a new head. The women had been left alone though he caught the occasional handwritten note next to them 'you don't want me'. Derek threw the magazine down onto his bed. "Bloody Lydia, only she would fucking well do this to me," Derek whispered into the air as his eye caught on one of the pictures again. The man was big, bigger than Derek but where his head used to be was a cut out image of Stiles, laughing at something. All the photos of Stiles were different and Derek couldn't help thinking this must have taken Lydia a long time. It only hit Derek then, if Lydia had done this and no one else in his pack was quite as…devious as she was that meant that she knew. Lydia knew about his feelings for Stiles and if Lydia knew then his whole pack would know and if the pack knew Stiles would know because Stiles knew everything there was to know about the pack. Stiles' knowledge of every part of the pack was only a little disturbing for Derek who knew what role the other man would have in a traditional pack. The fact that Jackson was so close with his mocking and Stiles' reaction only reinforced the fact that Stiles wasn't interested in Derek like that. Not that Stiles should be with him anyway even if he could get past the fact that Derek was a man. MJ and Lydia were both decidedly feminine and Derek remembered the crushes Stiles had had on both, he still flirted with them both. That was better, he'd have to have a word with his pack about encouraging Stiles to date, Derek knew himself well enough to know he would never be able to suggest it himself.

Derek threw the magazine into the bin next to his bed. He'd have to do something more with it in the morning. He didn't want Stiles to see it.

Ten minutes later Derek was no better off, Lydia's joke had robbed him of his erection but lying in the dark her prank had the unfortunate side effect of giving his brain more fodder for his mental images of Stiles. More poses, more positions, more flexibility. Derek shook his head as though he could forcibly get the images out but he knew it was pointless. When his hand slipped beneath his waistband and Stiles flashed into his mind Derek sighed and gave up. He remembered the press of him from earlier and unbidden all the things he loved about Stiles, all the places he wanted to touch and taste slammed into his mind. It didn't take him long to come. Derek laid there for a few minutes breathing deeply before he cleaned himself up and stretched out on his bed staring up at the ceiling.

He had been trying so hard to stop thinking about Stiles. Stiles shouldn't want him, didn't want him. Derek knew he needed to just snap himself out of it. Push thoughts of Stiles aside and go back to how he'd decided to live after Kate. He was going to be alone forever and when he was old he would welcome the killing bite from one of his pack. If he was lucky and there was somewhere beyond he might be able to apologise to his family properly. It was a solidary life, it might even end up being a boring life but he had put an end to the people who had been instrumental in killing his family so he could spend the rest of his life making his pack strong and happy.

Now he needed to amend it. He needed to accept that he might not get over Stiles in the foreseeable future but people had had to deal with worse. So he needed to find a way to make Stiles even less available than he already was. Derek remembered for a moment the bright, overwhelming pain of Stiles dating MJ. Maybe she'd still be interested in Stiles, Derek remembered the vague comment about her having a boyfriend but he couldn't be sure and if she liked Stiles he doubted she'd be able to resist him. If not he'd talk to Lydia about setting him up. His pack would want Stiles to be happy, they'd do something to make it happen and all Derek would need to do was sit back and not drink himself to death. When Stiles was taken and Derek had no little bubble of a dream to hide in then he would stop and if he didn't that would be fine because Derek knew how to live through pain, he could do it again.

With a plan in mind Derek closed his eyes and told himself to go to sleep.

Derek fell asleep with his problems in his ear, against his will, without realising he'd allowed his hearing to deepen in the dark to be able to hear the soft snores from Stiles. He didn't normally snore so it must be the alcohol. When Derek realised what he was listening to he couldn't bring himself to stop and just listened until the world disappeared.

Derek didn't remember anything else until the painted groans coming from Stiles' room the next day.

/ * / * / * / * /

Howdy, almost done, two more chapters to go.

I have a question, I am almost finished this and most of the other WIPs in this 'Verse and I have been toying with the idea of a Sentinal AU of TW, I'm wondering if anyone would be interested in reading it. Though I have that big bang to worry about. We shall see.


	15. Chapter 15

This was going to be a very different chapter to this story but the last chapter and Derek's grand idea changed things. I just might come back at some point and write the original one as an Alternate Fic (but my list is already insane. I'm working on a genderswap girl!Stiles succubus story :))

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_Stiles was trying to kill him_ that as the only explanation Derek could think of for seeing Stiles standing in front of him in jeans that curved around his backside and clung to his…the front of his…Derek yanked his eyes away, they moulded to his thighs without being those horrid skinny leg things he kept seeing around campus. He had on a pair of dark brown cowboy boots and a thick belt with a giant buckle and two holsters slung low on either hip. His white shirt hidden beneath a brown leather vest. On his head was a cowboy hat tipped low over his eyes and Derek understood the stubble the younger man had been allowing to grow since it finished off the outfit. Derek was fairly certain his brain had just dribbled out of his ear and that if he didn't retreat to his bedroom and masturbate this second he'd do something terrible like drop to his knees, undo the zip of Stiles' jeans and swallow him whole right in the hallway wearing the entire outfit.

Obviously Stiles was trying to kill him. Except he didn't know that Derek was insanely in love with him so probably Stiles was just trying to look good for the fraternity fancy dress party and maybe trying to pick someone up at the party tonight. The lust low in Derek's belly and the painful erection pressing against his zip was not deliberate on Stiles' part but it was a good reason to get out of the hallway.

Derek smiled at Stiles with a maniacal glint before retreating to his bedroom quickly not understanding the question Stiles was asking to his back. He dropped his head against the wood of his door and closed his eyes then opened them…didn't matter all Derek could see was Stiles standing there looking like a cowboy. Derek closed his eyes hating himself and unzipped his pants, he wrapped his hand around himself and came hard quickly against the door. He cleaned up and sat on the bed hating himself for being so weak again…always so weak when it came to his need for Stiles.

Stiles knocked on the door. "Derek the party starts in half hour."

"Okay." Derek said standing and stripping before cleaning the door and slinging a towel around his waist. Derek opened the door to find Stiles still standing there. "Shower." Derek said dumbly.

"Course, so how do I look?" Stiles said throwing his arms out and twirling with a wicked grin.

"Very nice Stiles, I'm sure you'll get hit on all night." Derek said before locking himself in the bathroom and turning just the cold water tap on. Derek missed the slight drop of the corner of Stiles' lips.

Derek stood under the spray and tried to remember why he didn't touch Stiles. He listed them off in his head as he washed methodically.

Stiles was human and therefore very breakable and prone to dying.

Stiles was straight, he had been in love with Lydia and then MJ last year.

Stiles was his best friend, a fact that always made him wonder when the hell the annoying, hyperactive, compulsive, funny guy he met that day in the woods had wormed his way under the walls and barricades and downright arsehole shield. He'd shut himself off the day his family had died, Laura holding him in front of his burned down house and the woman he thought he'd been in love with had disappeared with a note about being a hunter and things being different now and I hope I never see you again. He'd kept himself like that until Stiles forced his way in and demanded that Derek pay attention to him.

Stiles was the very centre of his pack. He was the thing that made Lydia less harsh and bitchy, made Scott slightly less oblivious and more serious, made Jackson relax and let a little of the scared little boy out. Stiles was the person who had calmed Danny when he'd been bitten and answered all his questions with unhidden glee and knowledge convincing the newest werewolf in his pack to accept Derek's bite, his control and protection, to slide into the pack as though he'd been there the whole time. He was the one who convinced Derek to let Allison into the pack more and more until she was as much a part of the pack as anyone else. Without Derek even realising it Stiles had built him a pack and kept it all together in his own way. Derek dreaded ever having to admit to what that made Stiles in his life. That term, so special to a pack, would make him vulnerable to Stiles knowing everything and the power he really held.

Stiles was possibly more important to him than anyone in his life had been and the thought was more terrifying than seeing his uncle half transformed and knowing he'd killed his sister and now Derek had to kill the very last member of his family.

Derek turned the water off with the sinking dread of knowing his arguments against telling Stiles he was in love with him were becoming less and less convincing. He reminded himself that he was going to step back and make sure that Stiles found someone that treated him well, would love him as much as he deserved and could make him happy. It was a decision he definitely didn't like to think about but he wanted Stiles to be happy.

He left the bathroom and made it into his room without seeing Stiles again. He pulled his clothes on, sliding the badge into his pocket and the plastic gun into the back of his pants. He smoothed his hands down the dark blue shirt, made sure it was tucked into his pants properly and opened his door heading towards the lounge room hearing Stiles moving around in his room.

"Lydia?" Derek said looking at his beta who was wearing something completely inappropriate in his living room. "What are you doing here?"

"Came for the party. I was here when you got home. I said hello." At Derek's blank stare she continued with a grin. "You were too busy drooling over Stiles to notice me."

Derek growled at Lydia and she grinned.

"Why are you here?" Derek demanded.

"Lydia came down to go to the party with us." Stiles said when he came back into the room wearing a leather duster over the outfit.

"Wow Stiles, you look hot." She turned to Derek. "You on the other hand Mr Alpha look completely crap."

"Hey!" Derek said looking down at his quite boring outfit.

"It's a good thing I came prepared." Lydia said grabbing a plastic bag and Derek's elbow dragging him back to his room.

"Lydia!" Derek's exclamation made it out to Stiles where he was waiting in the lounge room, he grinned and listened as Derek protested and Lydia demanded until finally the door swung open. Derek was shoved out of his own door making Stiles' breath just freeze in the back of his throat. Stiles didn't know how to take the whole picture in, he knew he was staring and his cock was steadily filling and pressing into the zip of his jeans and his head was feeling light and he still can't breathe especially not when Derek started stalking down the hallway.

"Okay," Lydia said walking down behind him. "Let get out of here. No Derek you cannot wear a jacket it ruins the outfit."

Derek put down the jacket and glared at Lydia. "I assume you are putting something else on."

"Why?" Lydia said looking down at herself. "This is my outfit."

"You're dressed like a pro from the turn of last century!" Derek ground out.

"That's what I am." Lydia said giving a little twirl. "Allison and I were watching Moulin Rouge the other week and hello idea."

Lydia was wearing black boyleg underwear with dark purple ruffles over her backside and straps that connected to her black lace topped stockings. She had on a vibrant purple corset with ice blue laces running the length of her spine, on the front there were two ropes of ice blue lace running down the line of boning that sat over her breasts and pushed them up giving her epic cleavage. There was a line of lace along the top of the corset back and front that matched the painfully high ice blue stilettos she was wearing. Her hair was teased and curled running down her back with black and deep purple hair extensions spread throughout and held away from her face with a silver tiara with purple jewels. The outfit was finished with a set of elbow length fingerless black gloves and a couple of extravagantly large rings. Her chest was sparkly like she was covered in glitter which had made Stiles run his finger along her collarbone while she giggled when she'd first emerged from the bathroom dressed.

"You cannot go to a frat party dressed like that." Derek said his arms crossing over his chest. "Can she Stiles?"

"Huh?" Stiles said staring at Derek dumbly for a few heartbeats before catching up. "What? No, she looks good and we can keep an eye on her." Lydia turned on him her eyebrow lifting. "Okay, fine, you can take care of yourself. I am useless but we will be keeping an eye on you so deal with it."

"Fine, I can take care of myself. I look amazing and feel good so Derek get over it." Lydia said with a grin pulling her stocking up just a little higher which was when Stiles noticed the line running up the back of each stocking, he had to admit she did look fucking hot.

"You do look hot." Stiles conceded with a grin. "Still going to keep an eye on you though."

Lydia grinned and pushed herself up on her toes to kiss his cheek. "You look smoking too Stiles. Wanna go home with me tonight?" She asked with a wink.

"Only if you promise to sleep with me."

"Oh I suppose." Lydia said curling her arm through one of Stiles'. "What about Derek? Are we all painfully good looking tonight or what?"

Stiles looked at Derek again, started at his feet with the scuffed black boots, the insanely bright yellow pants gathering at the top where they were too long, with a band of reflective tape at the bottom, they were bagging, running the full length of his legs and sitting on his hips with a red button. The red suspenders hanging down on either side of his hips, some smudges of black on his hip, his left pectoral, the top abdominal muscle on the right side, his arm, his hand and his cheek. Making him look for all the world like a fireman fresh from a fire. He had a red fireman's helmet on his head finishing off the outfit though he was missing a jacket. He looked amazing and Stiles was having a hard time convincing his hormones to calm down just looking at him.

"Yeah, we are all pretty good looking." Stiles conceded. "We should be off, don't want to be late."

"Wait! I have one more thing for Derek's outfit." Lydia said rummaging in her bag and pulling out an axe which she handed Derek gleefully. "Okay," she said standing back. "All done now. Let's go."

The three of them left the apartment and headed to the Delta Delta Pi fraternity where one of Stiles' friends from journalism was a brother and had invited them to their fancy dress party. Stiles had been so gleeful at the prospect of dressing up Derek had agreed before his brain had even really thought about what was happening. Derek did not remember Stiles telling him Lydia was going to come or that she was going to be dressed like a hooker. He was going to have to spend the night glaring at any number of men and women thinking she was an easy target. There was no way she was not coming home with him tonight, no way she was going to be out of his sight long enough for anything to happen.

Stiles grabbed Derek's elbow and let Lydia get a little in front of them. "She broke up with Miguel."

"Why?" Derek whispered back.

"Her story to tell, she needs a night of fun and being hit on. Don't be too overbearing tonight okay?"

"Another Stiles problem?" Derek forced a grin onto his face; he wanted to know what was wrong with Lydia so he could help her but he knew that honestly he could do no more than whatever Stiles was already doing.

"Yeah, sorry."

"Don't. So long as she is talking to someone."

"She is."

"Good. So drinking and fun tonight?" Derek whispered watching Lydia in front of him.

"Exactly, I know you are protective. I know you will want to punch someone for something by the end of the evening but just leave her be."

"If you say so I'll keep my distance and my eye on her in case."

Stiles beamed at Derek and Derek felt himself returning the grin, it made him feel lighter when he did something that obviously made Stiles happier, made the younger man aware of how important he was. Derek watched Stiles lengthen his stride to catch up with Lydia throwing his arm around her shoulders when he got there. Derek allowed himself a few minutes to think about Stiles' costume, even hidden beneath the jacket Derek could perfectly picture the costume and he knew with morbid certainty that he would be wanting to punch a number of people tonight and the ones hitting on Lydia would be the least of his problems. But he had to take advantage of tonight and really start to step back.

Derek rushed to catch up with Lydia and Stiles and when he got there Lydia curled an arm through his elbow and they walked towards the frat house, the party could be heard well before it could be seen but when they were standing on the doorstep they found the door inexplicably locked. Stiles rang the bell and assumed they'd need to go around the back or something to get into the house but moments later the door in front of them began to swing open.

"Stiles!" The green alien on the other side of the door said with glee.

"Hey Eoin." Stiles smiled and stepped through the door. "You remember Derek. And this is Lydia."

Eoin studied Lydia, from her blue shoes to her tiara and then leaned forward. "Hi Lydia, I'm Eoin. My bedroom is right upstairs."

Derek took half a step forward, Stiles grabbed his wrist and watched Lydia.

Lydia lifted her hand up, slapped Eoin lightly on the cheek and said with a painfully sweet voice. "Yes and I have standards! Drinks this way?"

Lydia started walking and Derek followed her, Stiles looked at his friend and laughed. "She is way out of your league dude."

"I know how to climb."

Stiles laughed again and followed his pack mates.

/ / / Lydia's POV \ \ \

Lydia was a little drunk and was sitting next to a tall guy who looked absolutely nothing like Miguel…or for that matter Logan. She was debating whether or not she should let him kiss her while watching her fearless (stupid, utterly stupid) alpha and her best friend try not to look at one another, try not to watch the other person every minute.

She'd been watching them since Derek had walked into their apartment earlier and looked so utterly shattered when he'd seen Stiles. For a second she'd wondered if he was finally just going to throw Stiles over his shoulder, walk them to his room and spend the rest of the night peeling Stiles' costume off before they were both able to show how much they cared. Then Derek had hidden in his room and she'd wanted to throw Stiles in there with him and make them do something finally.

When they'd arrived Derek had stayed by Stiles' side until some girl came over and started talking to him, her friend trying to talk to Derek with no luck. Derek had retreated, leaving Stiles alone looking like someone had just stolen his favourite teddy bear and refused to give it back. She drank another shot and groaned as she'd watched Derek find himself a spot where he could watch Stiles chatting to both women. She watched Stiles too, laughing, making both the girls laugh as he talked to them, he was open and comfortable and she knew if he wanted to he could go home with at least one of them at the end of the night but he was never going to actually do anything about them. Stiles' heart was hiding in the corner wishing he was the focus of all that attention.

Lydia watched Derek nurse his beer and watch Stiles completely ignoring the parade of guys and girls who floated close to him, wishing, hoping that he would look their way before they either gave up or sucked up the courage to approach only for Derek to give them a quick and brutal brush off. More than one of them ended up skulling their drinks before being enveloped back into their group of friends. Derek wasn't being mean deliberately but he was crushing people left and right as he ignored everyone to watch Stiles.

After a while Stiles gravitated back to Derek's side like he always did, handing over a new beer and settling next to Derek where he was propping up the wall. They chatted and the pinched look on Derek's face disappeared. After a while though he would start to frown and excuse himself leaving Stiles alone to be approached by someone he knew or was interested in getting to know him. Lydia watched this play out at least four times before Stiles came and found her when Derek left her. She knew Derek had been keeping an eye on her as she floated around the party, doing her own chatting up or being hit on. Miguel had done a spectacular job of cheating on her with half of his class but every guy, and a few girls, who came over to chat her up made her start to feel better. She was so glad she had agreed to come up to the party in the end. Stiles always made her feel better about things and he'd been working overtime since she'd arrived that morning.

"How you doing gorgeous?" Stiles asked when Derek disappeared again.

"I'm good," Lydia said welcoming the warm arm he threw over her shoulder after he moved the guy who'd been sitting there along.

"Derek is being weird," Stiles said. "He keeps disappearing on me."

"Really?"

"Very odd," Stiles said and she could feel his shrug. "Must have some friends here too, I think I saw the guy from his microeconomics class."

"Obviously," Lydia nodded. She wanted to clue him in but she kept herself from doing it.

"Some girl named Alex asked me if I knew what a lemon drop was and if I wanted her to do it me. She was quite drunk, one of her friends came to take her home. But I felt utterly pathetic since I have no idea what it is."

Lydia turned and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "I can't help you babe."

"Stiles!"

"Hey Chris."

"Come with me, bring your hot girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Stiles said even as he grabbed Lydia's hand and pulled her along with him outside.

The rest of the night was a whirling mix of Stiles' friends who sat in a circle outside under a tree. They played drinking games and laughed, Stiles dragged Derek out to join them but Lydia could see him swinging between enjoying the company and pulling away. She had no idea what was wrong with him but decided his damage was his own business tonight and threw herself into enjoying the people and the party.

Later, as they walked home Stiles stumbling a little between them Lydia thanked Derek for not hovering too badly during the night. As she did she realised the other thing that was utterly bizarre about tonight. Derek normally glared at everyone and anyone who hit on Stiles but tonight he'd been actively pushing Stiles in the way of others. The slight tequila buzz helped her connect the dots while Stiles muttered about stars and snuggling in his bed. Derek was trying to get Stiles to date. She didn't understand why but she knew her alpha had finally cracked, they would have to do something soon to force the issue before Stiles did something that broke Derek's heart. It would be his own damned fault too.

/ * / * / * / * /

The costumes  
>img. costumecraze images vendors/ incharacter/  
>www. partycity product adult+dude+firefighter+ ?sortby=ourPicks&pp=60&size=all&page=2&navSet=116258  
>cdn. idontlikeyouinthatway  pictures/ 20070920/ christina%20aguilera%20lady%20marmalade%

Two more chapters to go here, should be up by Monday-ish (might need a pick me up after my job interview)

The big bang is going well (45 000+words so far) and I'm finding writing it a bit of a challenge since it's so different.


	16. Chapter 16

/ * / * / * / * /

Derek could hear Stiles in his bedroom packing things up, moving around and talking to himself as he did. The sounds were comforting and he wanted to go into the bedroom with him and sit on his bed and chat while Stiles did his things. Derek didn't want to be in his own room he wanted to be with Stiles.

That thought was what told Derek he should ask Stiles to move out, he had to get Stiles out of his apartment. He wanted to make sure Stiles was happy and while he was living with Derek he spent most of his time with Derek, god almost all of his time with Derek and as much as Derek loved it and want it, craved it, he knew that while it was happening Stiles wouldn't be meeting people or…going on dates. Derek remembered the date he'd watched between Stiles and MJ and told himself he wouldn't follow Stiles on his next date.

He thought when he had asked Stiles to move in with him that he'd be fine. He might even get over it, seeing all of the annoying things that Stiles did. But Stiles just kept being Stiles who did annoying things but then would make pizza from scratch because he was bored and only put Derek's favourite toppings on it. He would download some of Derek's music onto his iPod for the drive to and from Beacon Hills and make cinnamon rolls on the anniversary of the fire but never say a word about the day because his mum had made them when he was little and the pain felt as real now as it had then.

Stiles kept his pack together, and allowed Derek to think he was in charge even though he'd finally realised that Stiles, not Derek, was the leader and centre of the pack. All the wolves would follow Stiles anywhere and Derek realised as he stared up at the poster of the Crab Nebula Stiles had bought him after he'd found out Derek loved astronomy that he'd follow Stiles anywhere too. This was not how alphas should act, this was not how he should be acting but he couldn't help himself. He needed some distance so he could do the right thing, maybe when they were home again. He could stay home with the rest of the pack went to Cambridge while Lydia was doing her internship at MIT. It would seem odd but it would give him a break, he wouldn't be tempted to growl at anyone when they started to flirt with Stiles, and they would, they always did.

Stiles started singing something as he moved around his room. Derek grunted and without making any decision to do so he found himself suddenly standing in Stiles' doorway and watched the younger man's hips swing to the beat of the music coming out of the speakers next to his bed. Stiles grinned at him as he started to sing along to Mumford and Sons.

"Sit down." Stiles said nodding at the only part of his bed not covered with something.

Derek moved into the room the scent of Stiles filling his lungs as he grinned at Stiles' singing.

"I thought you were studying for exams."

"I needed a break." Derek explained folding the shirts that Stiles had thrown onto the bed in front of him.

"Don't worry. I'll sort it out." Stiles said with a smile.

"It's okay." Derek said. "I need to do something with my hands."

"Want to go for a run after I've finished packing?" Stiles asked. "Before you get back to the studying."

"That sounds perfect."

"Good, oh I meant to tell you I'm going to leave for home a couple of days after we said. MJ is having a party after her last exam and invited me. So I'll just drive up then."

"Okay." Derek said ignoring the twinge that still happened whenever Stiles mentioned MJ. It was good, maybe it would be better than the frat party. Without Derek or Lydia there Stiles might meet someone. It would be good.

"I've decided to just take my warm clothes home; I'm going to leave everything else here. Just makes things easier. Since I'll be here again next year." Stiles said his voice lifting at the end in question.

"Of course you'll be here next year. You can live here as long as you want." Derek said the faint idea of Stiles not living here next year disappearing like a wisp of smoke in the face of actually seeing Stiles. Derek wanted to reel the words back in and think about them. He knew he was fucked. The idea of Stiles being out there and finding someone, of Derek knowing that things were never going to happen was a sweet one. The problem was that Stiles stood in front of Derek and the alpha turned stupid and couldn't force himself to follow through with the plan.

But Derek could use his pack, he would use his pack and Stiles would pull away on his own.

Derek knew his resistance was crumbling and he was beginning to think telling Stiles and knowing that he didn't want Derek might just be the only thing that would save him from becoming even more lovesick and pathetic. But he didn't want to risk opening himself up like that, finding Stiles a girlfriend was a much better option.

Stiles beamed at him and Derek felt his face cracking into an insane smile as he rested back on Stiles' bed and watched the younger man shove clothes haphazardly into his bag as he chattered about his plans for the summer.

/ / / TBC... (one more, rather silly little chapter to go)


	17. Chapter 17

**Bonus Scene**

Lydia was the last to join the phone call. "I am sick of this," she said in lieu of a greeting.

"We all are." Jackson and Allison said together.

"They have been living together for a year, a year and neither of them has cracked and just torn the others clothes off to do dark and dirty things to the other." Danny said exasperated.

"We could handcuff them together." Allison suggested.

"Sit them down and tell them that they are in love and should just get over it already." Danny put forth.

"God, I thought that whole thing with Jasmine might have prompted Derek to finally crack." Scott said.

"I think that was yet another example of how Derek could hurt Stiles; he is insanely obsessed with the idea that he is going to hurt Stiles if he lets himself get any closer." Allison said sadly.

"Is it even possible for the two of them to get any closer?" Scott asked.

"Mistletoe." Jackson suggested.

"Christmas is months away." Lydia reminded him. "And yes Scott they could be naked and wrapped around one another that would be closer."

"Ugh." Scott moaned into the phone.

Danny and Lydia laughed at him every time he got disturbed by the mental image of his best friend having sex, which was one of the reasons Lydia so enjoyed bringing it up, in occasionally graphic detail.

"Plus now Derek's decided Stiles should date, I told you about that frat party. My God they were both as bad as one another watching the other all night and the way Derek looked when Stiles even spoke to someone else, it was both heartbreaking and pathetic. How are they so fucking oblivious?"

"Years of practice?" Jackson suggested.

"I say we get them home under some pretence, lock them in the panic room, throw lots of lube and condoms in after them and just don't come back to let them out for a week." Lydia said into the phone.

"Would that work?" Allison asked. "Couldn't Derek break out?"

"Werewolf proof, built to withstand rabid alpha."

"I don't think a week is enough time. How much food does he have down there? I say we leave them until they run out of food." Danny threw in over the phone.

"I don't want to think about Stiles having sex." Scott added.

"Yeah because mopey, horny, grumpy alpha is so much better than the image of Stiles riding his cock…actually it totally is. I need to wash my brain out with something." Jackson said muttering at the end.

"Three months." Scott said. "If they haven't sorted themselves out by the end of July, we lock them down there for August, they will still be able to go to school for the start of the year and hopefully have enough of it out of their system I never have to walk in on them having sex."

"That was one time." Jackson countered.

"Seven." Danny and Scott said at once.

"Seriously Jackson go to your room to have sex, and lock the door." Lydia said disgusted with her ex-boyfriend and herself for having dated him.

"End of July." Allison said to bring them back. The problem with the pack was without Stiles or Derek to keep them focussed they ended up getting side-tracked and bickering.

"Agreed." Four werewolves responded.

"Good, I am hanging up. Talk to all of you later." Allison said.

One by one they all hung up happy to finally have a plan. It had been three years since Derek and Stiles had started developing feelings for one each other and they had steadily progressed until they were both completely and utterly stupid for one another and pissing off everyone as they seemed to deliberately ignore the other's feelings. They needed to fix things for their friends, who they desperately wanted to be happy together (hopefully before someone hurt the two of them), and for their own sanity.

**The End **(I promise the next thing I post in this series will be them getting their freaking act together before someone kills them!)


End file.
